Festivals take place every month in Vietnam, with too many to mention, so this selection is just a taster of Vietnam’s festive flavor.

Tet Festival is Vietnamese New Year, and is a huge celebration throughout the country during February. It is considered the most important festival with entire cities closing down for three days while families reunite and spend quality time together.

Lim Festival is only celebrated in the north of Vietnam and takes place on the 13th day of the first lunar month. This festival is characterized by Quan Ho – traditional songs, sung by talented singers while taking part in activities such as weaving and fishing.

April Festival is a national celebration to pay reverence to the Hung Kings who played an important role in the founding of Vietnam. Festivities continue for three days, featuring processions, marches, songs and dance including an elephant march.

Perfume Pagoda Festival takes place in March at Vietnam’s most prominent Buddhist pilgrimage site, Perfume Pagoda near Hanoi. Thousands of pilgrims arrive to take the scenic route through sacred caves and along streams in the rice paddies to reach the hundreds of stone steps which lead to the summit.

Mid Autumn Moon Festival is a favourite among the younger generation, as parents spoil their offspring with new toys, delicious candies, and heaps of fun and entertainment. Children parade through the streets of the cities carrying colourful lanterns and take part in a variety of dances. This festival is held on the 15th day of the eight lunar month.

The seven-day new year celebrations are dictated by the lunar calendar but usually fall in late January or early February and coincide with Chinese New Year celebrations across the border. These two celebrations have some similarities yet are unique. 

Preparations for Tet are just as important as actual celebrations. The Vietnamese clean their homes to push out last year’s bad luck and make a fresh start by giving their homes or wardrobes a makeover. New year is also a time to settle your differences and pay off any debts.

The arrival of the new year is greeted with fireworks and gongs that go off long into the night. This is a good time to get merry with the Vietnamese. When the night-time partying and gambling ceases and daylight emerges, locals go about enhancing their luck for the coming year. This can be done through decorations, merit making or gift-giving among other things.

The only drawback to visiting Vietnam during Tet is that this is the most popular time for family reunions and therefore public transport gets fully booked. If you want to experience this festival be prepared to stay in one place or plan well in advance.

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