National Festivals

T?t Nguyên ?án – Lunar New Year Festival

The most important festival in Vietnam is the Lunar New Year Festival (which is called Tet Nguyen Dan). Vietnamese New Year occurs somewhere in the last ten days of January or the first twenty days of February, nearly halfway between winter solstice and spring equinox. This is the precious time for all the members of family to gather, tell their own stories during the past year and express respects to their ancestors. In this period of time, people visit and send greetings to their neighbors, friends and relatives. Therefore, if you visit some of Vietnamese families in Tet Festival, you should send them all the best wishes for a new year and do not forget to take along with you some lucky money for elders and children. Furthermore, you will have chance to enjoy the flavor of traditional Vietnamese food “banh chung” (or sticky rice cake) – a symbol of Tet in Vietnam and also a must among other foods to be placed on the ancestors’ altars during Vietnamese Tet holiday.

Hung King Temple Festival

The second important festival which has been recently recognized as national festival is Hung King Temple Festival. This festival offers an opportunity for not only Vietnamese people but also foreign tourists to come back to the land of origin. If you want to take part in this festival, you should come to Vietnam from 8^th to the 11^th days of the third lunar month (of which the main festival day is celebrated on the 10^th day of the third lunar March). However, you are suggested not going to Hung King Temple on the main day festival if you do not want to cope with the long line of people who are eager to join this festival like you. It is better for you to choose other days during Hung King Temple Festival.

Hue Festival

Last but not least, Hue Festival might be an unforgettable memory of foreign tourists traveling to Vietnam. Nowadays, Hue is not only known as the ancient imperial capital of Vietnam, but also as a city of traditional and original Vietnamese culture which is mainly reflected in Hue Festival taking place annually in June. Hue Festival attracts a huge number of foreign tourists every year. Visiting Hue in the festival season, you can recall the cultural value of the ancient imperial when enjoying “Nhã nh?c Hu?” (which is recognized as one of the intangible cultural world heritage by UNESCO), listening to “Hò Hu?” as well as watching art performances on Huong River (Perfume River) - performed by famous local artists and foreign ones from different countries … Undoubtedly, Hue Festival is a cultural space where both Vietnamese ethnic minorities and foreign travelers gather to strengthen the universal brotherhood. It would be your missing if visiting Hue but not participating in Hue Festival.

Local Festivals

As mention above, the local festivals mainly contribute to enrich festival collection of Vietnamese people. These are two of many festivals, which will surprise you as a foreign traveler: Cau Ngu Festival and “Buffalo Slaughtering” Festival.

Cau Ngu Festival

Different from other countries, fishing in Vietnam is not only simple as one of people’s earn-livings. For those who live on fishing, they want to show their respect to their “Ca Ong”; ask for favorable natural conditions and plenty of fish. Cau Ngu Festival is one of the popular festival in costal provinces (such as the South and Middle Central Coast regions). In different provinces, this festival takes places in different periods of time of the year. One of these festivals belongs to the lower Thai Duong Village in Huong Hai Commune of Huong Dien District, which is celebrated annually on the 12th day of the first month of a lunar year. One thing you should remember is that the ceremony will be held at late night; therefore, you have to arrange your time when intending to join Cau Ngu Festival.

Buffalo Slaughtering Festival

The “Buffalo Slaughtering Festival” in the Central Highlands also attracts a huge number of foreign tourists. It reflects the hunting skills of the young villagers’ spiritual wrestling of the Tay Nguyen ethnic group. In early spring of the year, the Tay Nguyen would like to show their sincere thank to the Geniuses for good harvests and good health. Don’t be surprised when you have chance to watch the Tay Nguyen slaughtering their buffalos. Also, you can dance together with them and even enjoy the roasted buffalo meat with liquor drunk through bamboo tubes from a jar.