Tết and the Vietnamese Festival Calendar

Vietnam follows the lunar calendar for its biggest cultural holidays, while the Gregorian calendar runs ordinary government and commercial life. The result: most holidays move by 2–4 weeks against the solar year.

Tết Nguyên Đán (Lunar New Year)

Late January or February — the single biggest holiday by a wide margin. Officially a week of public holidays; in practice many businesses close for 10–14 days.

Things to know:

• The whole country basically pauses. Restaurants, shops, services, even pharmacies in smaller towns close.
• Tens of millions of urban workers travel back to their hometowns. Trains and buses are booked weeks ahead.
• Plane tickets to/from Vietnam in the week before Tết are at peak prices.
• If you're a visitor, the days during Tết itself can be quiet and beautiful — but logistics are harder.
• The lead-up is festive: flower markets, kumquat trees, bánh chưng (square sticky-rice cakes) being made in courtyards.

Other major holidays

A few practical notes

• Government and bank holidays follow the official calendar; private businesses often add days around them.
• The week around Reunification Day + Labour Day (late April to early May) is the second-biggest domestic travel week.
• Christmas (25 Dec) is increasingly visible in big cities — decorations, café displays, Catholic communities celebrate properly — but it's not a public holiday.
• Lunar dates shift — check the year before booking around any of these.

What it is and why it matters

Tết Nguyên Đán, the Lunar New Year, anchors Vietnamese cultural and family life as the most spiritually significant and commercially important holiday of the year. Beyond the week-long official pause, Tết embodies concepts of renewal, ancestor veneration, and the settling of old debts — both financial and relational. The entire festival calendar that follows (from the Kings' Festival through the children's Mid-Autumn) reflects Vietnam's fusion of Buddhist, Confucian, and local spiritual traditions, shaping when families gather, when businesses close, and how daily rituals shift throughout the lunar year.

Where to see or experience it

In Hanoi, the Old Quarter transforms 1–2 weeks before Tết with flower markets (Hoa Phong Su near Hoan Kiem Lake) overflowing with peonies and kumquat trees. Courtyards across the city — both in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City — come alive with families making bánh chưng. For Tết Trung Thu (Mid-Autumn), head to temple fairs in Hoan Kiem district or District 1 (HCMC) to catch dragon dances and lantern processions. The Hùng Kings' Festival centers on Phú Thọ province in the Red River Delta, but is observed at temples nationwide on the 10th day of the 3rd lunar month. Vu Lan festivities concentrate at pagodas across both cities, where orange-robed monks lead remembrance rites.

Visitor etiquette

• Respect the Tết pause: Avoid expecting restaurants, shops, or services to be open during the official week; plan ahead or seek tourist-facing zones.
• Ask before photographing temple or family rituals, especially during ancestor offerings or incense lighting — these are private spiritual moments.
• Participate thoughtfully in Tết Trung Thu: Children appreciate foreigners joining lantern walks; always ask guardians first.
• Dress neatly for pagodas: Remove shoes, cover shoulders and knees, and never step over offerings or incense.

Cost and timing

Entry to temples and pagodas is free or a small donation (50,000–100,000 VND). Tết flower markets are free to browse but bustling from dawn until early afternoon. Dragon dances during Tết Trung Thu are free public spectacles. The ideal timing is the week before Tết (for flower markets and street energy) or during the quieter mid-Tết days (if you prefer fewer crowds). Checking lunar calendar dates a few months ahead is essential for accurate planning.

Related reading

• Religion and Family in Vietnam
• Vietnamese Etiquette and Customs
• Temples and Pagodas in Vietnam