When you pay a visit to Vietnam, you will have opportunities to experience various festivals in Vietnam. We would say that these traditional celebrations are held around the year and in many regions. That’s why you can participate in any Vietnam festival to make your trip to our country more memorable.
Below are 10 festivals we highly recommend for you to experience for your next holiday to Vietnam. We will list a spectacular time range for each celebration, including the Lunar and Gregorian calendars. Right now, let’s discover these festivals with us!
Lunar New Year
Lunar New Year is another called “Tet Nguyen Dan”, one of the biggest festivals in Vietnam. This festival is held to honor ancestors and get family members together after a hard-working year. Thus, Tet Nguyen Dan is really a special time for reunion parties of relatives and friends.
During the Lunar New Year holiday, most places in Vietnam organize various events to welcome a new year or the arrival of spring. If you pay a visit to our country, you will have a chance to witness fireworks displays, Dragon dancing, and flower roads. Moreover, you can enjoy traditional specialties like “Mut”, “Banh Tet” or “Banh Chung”. This will become an unforgettable memory for your trip to Vietnam.
- Lunar Calendar: From the 1st to the 3rd day of the first month
- Gregorian Calendar: Late January or early February
Mid-Autumn Festival
During the Mid-Autumn Festival, you can see a lot of lanterns on the streets in different shapes and sizes. Thus, this festival is also known as the biggest lantern festival in Vietnam, which is interesting for you to visit. Additionally, don’t miss any Lion dancing performance on this day as it is a desirable experience.
On two days of the Mid-Autumn Festival, you can have opportunities to try our traditional cakes called “Moon Cakes”. If you are on a veggie diet, we suggest you try this cake with the inter filling of sweet green beans. It would surely be a great taste for you.
- Lunar Calendar: On the 15th day of the eighth month
- Gregorian Calendar: Late September or early October
Buddha’s Birthday
Buddha’s Birthday is celebrated to pay tribute to the birth of Prince Siddhartha Gautama – one of the founders of Buddhism in the world. Most locals, visitors, or even followers of Buddhism will gather in a specific area on pagodas to start their respects in the early morning of these days.
During the time of this festival, monks in temples and pagodas present various inspired speeches about our lives. This can bring useful values and worthy beliefs to help people overcome challenges on a daily basis.
- Lunar Calendar: On the 9th day of the fourth month
- Gregorian Calendar: Late May or early June
Doan Ngo Festival
Doan Ngo Festival is also known as “Tet Sau Bo” in Vietnam. This can be explained by the fact that on this day in the past, farmers tended to get rid of all pests to have a good preparation for a new season. We consider that it is not a common festival in other nations, thus if you are on holiday in Vietnam, let’s try this celebration.
The right time for Doan Ngo’s worshipping is at noon, during the hour of Ngo (following the Lunar Calendar). Additionally, remember to eat fermented sticky like “Banh U” or “Com Ruou” as a belief to remove all unwanted “parasites” from the body.
- Lunar Calendar: On the 5th day of the fifth month
- Gregorian Calendar: Late June or early July
Festival of Wandering Souls
According to Vietnamese culture, the Wandering Souls festival is believed to be the time that our ancestors return to visit their families. That’s why a lot of families come to Buddhist temples or pagodas to pay respect to their lovers. They will come there together with food, flowers, cakes, or treats to pray for best wishes.
If you intend to join Buddhist events or festivals in Vietnam, you can plan a trip in the time for Wandering Souls. It is a great chance for you to experience an extraordinary tradition in a new country.
- Lunar Calendar: On the 15th day of the seventh month
- Gregorian Calendar: Late August or early September
Hoi An Lantern Festival
Hoi An Lantern Festival is one of the viral Vietnam festivals for both local and international visitors. It takes place every month, making visitors immerse into an impressive display of paper lanterns in different shapes and colors. To enjoy this festival, let’s come to the Ancient Town area for the best and most visual experience.
During the Hoi An Lantern Festival’s time, all of the stores, restaurants, and businesses are required to remove electricity and light up hundreds of candles instead. This brings an amazing experience of ancient space, with a little bit of magical and mysterious feelings.
- Lunar Calendar: On the 14th day of every month
- Gregorian Calendar: Varied
Perfume Pagoda Festival
Perfume Pagoda festival is one of the largest religious festivals in Vietnam, held in Huong Son Village, My Duc District, Ha Tay Province. Annually, there are thousands of pilgrims visiting here to pray for a successful year and pay their respects to Buddha. This makes them believe that many good things will come to their lives the next time.
To arrive at the ultimate destination, you will come across many limestone mountains, rice paddies, and historical shrines. It is a great chance to witness such breathtaking landscapes in Hanoi as well as the Northern highlands. That’s why we consider this festival a must-experience whenever traveling to Vietnam.
- Lunar Calendar: From the 6th day of the first month to the end of the third month
- Gregorian Calendar: Varied
Giong Festival
Giong Festival – one of the most famous events in Hanoi, is celebrated to honor the hero in Vietnamese history, namely Saint Giong. In this festival, you will take part in 2 celebrations, one held in Phu Dong Temple and another held in Soc Temple. With different places, you will enjoy various activities like gleeful folk games, traditional singing, or ritual performances.
If you want to move to the Giong Festival, you can go on a bus, car, or even motorbike. From the center of Hanoi, it can take you from 30 minutes to 1 hour to come to both destinations for this festival. It is an ideal time for you to experience such traditional festivals in Vietnam.
- Lunar Calendar: On the 6th to the 8th day of the first month
- Gregorian Calendar: Late January or early February
Hue Festival
The Hue Festival is held every two years, bringing a unique experience with cultural events, and folk performances during a 7-day course. One of the most outstanding activities in this festival is the Ao Dai Fashion Show. It is a chance for you to witness the Vietnamese national costumes with different styles. Additionally, you can join art exhibitions, and street performances, which express a part of the Nguyen Dynasty culture.
In Hue City, you would be pleasantly surprised because there is a broad range of vegan options, together with local specialties. From breakfast to late-night snacking, you can find the best veggie experience for your demand. We highly recommend some dishes like Fried Rice, Banh Loc, Banh Beo or Noodles. They are all famous dishes in Hue, which are remade by typical materials like soy or mushroom to match vegetarians’ interests.
- Lunar Calendar: All months
- Gregorian Calendar: All months
Ba Chua Xu Temple Festival
Ba Chua Xu Temple Festival is a worshipping goddess festival in Vietnam, held in An Giang province. During the days of this festival, you can witness various rituals performed, such as the Ba Chua Xu washing rite, Tuc Yet rite, Xay Chau rite, and so on. All participants are required to dress in traditional customs, and then stand on the 2 slides to start the official celebrations.
When you visit the Ba Chua Xu Temple, remember to prepare some paper, fruits, and other foods. This can be a great way to show your respects to the Ba Chua Xu for a year full of happiness and luck.
- Lunar Calendar: From the 23rd to 27th day of the fourth month
- Gregorian Calendar: Late May or early June
Conclusion
We hope our reviews on some of the famous festivals in Vietnam help you have a good preparation for your trip plan. If you don’t know how to join and move to these festivals, let’s book our Vietnam tour package for detailed instructions.
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