Local Interest
Public Holidays
Reunification Day 30th April 2017
Tue 2nd May: Reunification Day Public Holiday
Reunification Day in Vietnam, or Ngay Giai Phong, is a day of patriotic celebra-
tion for many Vietnamese people.
Aside from the political and military victory of Vietnam’s reunification, the
Vietnamese people celebrate Reunification Day because of the development that
occurred as a result of the South’s and North’s cooperation with each other. Also
known as Liberation day, Reunification Day is officially recognized on 30 April
each year
International Labor Day 1st May 2017 Ngày Quốc tế Lao Động
The Statue of Victory 30-4-1975 at the
Museum of Ho Chi Minh Campaign
On International Labor Day, people across Vietnam celebrate the progress of
workers’ rights by taking the day off from their regular jobs. Instead, Vietnamese
people spend time with their closest friends and family members. In Vietnam,
International Labor Day is called Ngay Quoc te Lao Dong. International Labor
Day is also a celebration of spring. Because of this, people spend a lot of time
outside if the weather is pleasant.
As this event is adjacent to the Reunification Day, May Day is often jointed by
April 30th to have a double-day off. In some years when both of these holidays
fell on weekend, office’s can be closed for as long as 4 consecutive days
Buddha's Birthday May 9th 2017
T
his day is celebrated on the 15th day of the 4th
lunar month and prayers and offering are made all
over Vietnam.
In Vung Tau they will celebrate by having a parade that
goes around Front Beach starting around 5pm. On the
10th May most or all of the Pagodas will cook vegetari-
an dishes and welcome everyone to visit and partake in
the meal.
In Hoi An, this day is celebrated lavishly in the Phap
Bao Pagoda. The temple is decorated extravagantly, the
monks walk in several processions along the streets, and
all the pagodas are decorated with beautiful colorful lan-
terns. The smell of incense permeates everywhere and
adds to the festivals’ spiritual nature. All the followers
gather in front of the pagodas to observe the religious
rites and listen to the Vesak message, as well as to the speech given by the head monk of the pagoda. They after-
wards offer free food and gifts to the children and the needy.
When night falls, the atmosphere of the festival gets even more exciting, with a parade that starts from the Phap
Bao Pagoda and goes along the main road of the old quarter, ending at the river front. Here animals are set free, and
flower garlands and colored lanterns are put on the river in order to warm up the wandering souls who have died
drowning.
Buddha’s Birthday is also a great time to enjoy vegetarian dishes sold by street vendors in Vietnam.
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The MAG Vung Tau