Vietnam has an unique culture that has undergone over the millennia. This leads to numerous special festivals where it shows belief and tradition of Vietnamese people clearly. Apart from admiring breathtaking natural landscapes, it is also worth enjoying some of the festivals in Vietnam to get a better understanding of this peaceful country.
Below are the 5 biggest and most popular festivals in Vietnam, celebrated all year round, that you should not miss.
1. Lunar New Year (Tet Nguyen Dan)
When it is held: Beginning of Lunar New Year
Recommended place: Hanoi, Vietnam
Lunar New Year, or Tet, is considered the most important festival and holiday in Vietnam. All schools, companies, factories are temporarily closed. It is the occasion for family unions and gatherings when people return to their families. To prepare for this special day, most Vietnamese people prepare by cleaning and decorating their houses as well as cooking delicious foods. There are a lot of special Vietnamese customs during this time that you could learn. For example, the importance of the first person visiting the house on the new year, wishing greetings of New Year, ancestral worship, and giving lucky money to elderly people and children (aka “Li Xi” in Vietnamese language). During Tet, Vietnamese people will visit their relatives, go to pagodas and temples to pray for a better upcoming year.
2. Hung King Temple Festival
When it is held: 8th to 11th day of the 3rd lunar month
Recommended place: Hung Temple, Co Tich village, Hy Cuong commune, Phong Chau district, Phu Tho province.
Hung King Temple festival is a national event that is held in Phu Tho. As its name suggests, it takes place annually to commemorate Hung Kings – the founder of the nation. During the festival, people from all over the country and those living abroad head for the main temple on Nghia Linh, Phu Tho to take part in this meaningful festival. The atmosphere of the festival is always bustling with many different folk games including human chess, bamboo swings, rice cooking competitions, “nem con”, wrestling, lion dance, etc. The highlight of the festival is the procession up to Den Thuong (Upper Temple) with participation of governmental leaders, villagers, and many visitors.
3. Lim Festival
When it is held: 12th to 13th day of the 1st lunar month
Place: Lim Town, Tien Du district, Bac Ninh province
The list of traditional festivals in Vietnam would not be complete without Lim Festival. Held around the 12th and 13th day of the first lunar month, this festival dates back more than 300 years. It takes place in Bac Ninh where “Quan Ho” singing features. To start the festival, the representatives of the villagers will offer incense and flowers at the pagoda to worship Nguyen Dinh Dien – the man who brought great honour to Lim town and also founded the festival. Undoubtedly, “Quan Ho” singing is one of the main highlights that many tourists have on the list of must-dos when travelling to Vietnam.
It is easy to realize local female singers by looking at their clothes. They wear their own traditional costumes including “ao tu than” – the local traditional dresses with 4 panels, and “non quai thao” – a big round hat. The males’ costumes are no less elegant. In some performances, you can listen to sweet love duets involving some couple singers. Apart from Quan Ho singing, there are also many Vietnamese traditional games to join including rice cooking, human chess, wrestling and bamboo swings.
4. Mid-Autumn Festival
When it is held: 14th to 15th day of the 8th lunar month
Recommended place: Hang Ma street, Hoan Kiem district, Hanoi
Every Vietnamese child dreams of an amazing Mid Autumn Festival with a belly full of mooncakes and their own bright lantern. Mid Autumn is also called “Children’s Festival” or “Tet Trung Thu” in Vietnamese. Though this festival is also held in China and many Asian countries, Vietnam version is different with their own traditions and legends. It takes quite a long time to prepare for this special event. In the weeks before it, you can see groups of lion dancers practicing on the streets, mooncakes, lanterns, and colorful masks sold in every corner.
During the festival, the atmosphere becomes more bustling. The streets are packed with so many people and their children. In certain places like Hang Ma street in Hanoi or riverside of Hoi An ancient town, music is louder and performances make the atmosphere hotter than ever. But, the most satisfying thing when joining in the Mid Autumn Festival might be seeing the happy faces of every child.
5. Perfume Pagoda Festival
When it is held: 6th of the 1st lunar month – at the end of the 3rd lunar month
Recommended places: Perfume Pagoda, My Duc District, Hanoi.
With more than 50% of the population following Buddhist practices, Buddha’s Birthday becomes a really important event to Vietnamese people. It is their chance to commemorate the birth, enlightenment, and the death of Buddha. In Vietnam, it is not just a religious festival but also a national festival. Before the festival, hundreds of monks and thousands of people will gather in big pagodas chosen to be the holding place. These pagodas will be cleaned and decorated with Buddha’s statue in the middle of a pink lotus. Around them, there are also many colorful lanterns, different kinds of flowers, and small lotus flowers.
Buddhist followers will gather in the early morning of the 15th day to prepare for the festival. Buddha’s Birthday has 2 main parts including the ceremony and entertaining activities. For thousands of years, sacred rituals like offering incense and flowers to celebrate the birthday of Buddha and pray for peace still remain. Also on this day, people will actively participate in charity activities like helping the unlucky, mental retarded and the elderly. Visiting the pagodas during the festival, you will have a chance to enjoy.
