Vietnam is a culturally rich country that has many festivals and celebrations throughout the year. These events showcase the national heritage, music and dance performances, and high-energy activities such as dragon boat races and street parades.

Here are the top festivals and celebrations to add to your Vietnam itinerary:

Lunar New Year: Experience the Joyous Celebration of Tet

Falling in January or February, Tet is Vietnam’s largest and most important festival. The emphasis is on family, and many people return to their hometown to celebrate. Tết Eve is the most important day in the lunar calendar, and the excitement is palpable. Join the fun by enjoying outdoor flower displays and toasting midnight fireworks with locals.

Hội An Lantern Festival

The Hội An Lantern Festival is held on the 14th day of every lunar month in the UNESCO World Heritage town of Hội An. During the festival, the town is decorated with colorful lanterns, and visitors can participate in traditional activities such as releasing flower garlands on the Hoai River and lighting candlelit paper lanterns. The festival also features cultural performances, street food vendors, and handicraft exhibitions.

Lim Festival: Celebrate Vietnamese Folk Music and Dance

This jovial celebration of spring commemorates the festival founder while highlighting the unique culture of the Red River Delta. The festival has a remarkable ritual called quan họ, which features traditionally dressed men and women who serenade each other from aboard dragon boats while performing folk songs.

Huế Festival & Huế Craft Village Festival

Huế, the former capital of Vietnam and home of the last Vietnamese dynasty, is rich in cultural heritage. The Huế Festival takes place every two years in April and features spectacular performances at the Citadel and around the city. The Huế Craft Village Festival, also held every two years in April, features exhibitions of artisanal crafts that have been made in surrounding villages for centuries.

Hùng Kings Temple Festival: Pay Tribute to Vietnam’s Legendary Heroes

This festival commemorates the first king of Vietnam, King Vương, whose origin story is celebrated every year on the 10th day of the third lunar month. To join the festival, travel to the Hùng Temple in Việt Trì City, where you can witness hundreds of lanterns set aloft into the sky on the eve of the festival.

Xến Xó Phốn Festival: Indulge in Traditional Food and Delights

This festival takes place in the beautiful valley of Mai Châu between April and May each year, on the fourth month of the lunar calendar. The festival belongs to the calendars of the White Thai people, a minority group, and is essentially a ritual to call for rain. This is done with a variety of songs and offerings made throughout the village.

Ghost Festival or Wandering Souls Day: Honor Ancestors and Lost Souls

The Vietnamese believe that on 15th day of the 7th month of the lunar calendar, the spirits of ancestors return to visit their earthly homes. The night before Wandering Souls Day, families will offer prayers, flowers, and fruits at the graves of their ancestors. Paper money and clothes are burned for spirits to use in the afterlife.

Independence Day: Commemorate Vietnam’s Hard-Fought Freedom

Commemorating the day Ho Chi Minh declared the Independence of the Nation of Vietnam from France in Hanoi’s Ba Dinh Square on September 2, 1945, this annual celebration features patriotic displays and flags adorning alleyways throughout Vietnam. Major cities such as Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City hold parades during the day and light fireworks at night.

Mid-Autumn Festival: Revel in Mooncakes, Lanterns, and Mythical Tales

he Mid-Autumn Festival, also known as the Moon Festival, is celebrated on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month (usually in September or October). During the festival, people gather together to admire the full moon, eat mooncakes (round pastries filled with sweet or savory ingredients), and participate in traditional activities such as lion dances and dragon dances. Children also carry colorful lanterns and sing songs as they parade through the streets.Lantern and sing songs as they parade through the streets.

Oóc Om Bóc: Embrace the Spiritual Traditions of the Khmer People

This festival is celebrated by the Khmer people in the Mekong Delta and is a blend of Buddhism and animism. Celebrated on the 14th day of the tenth lunar month , it features processions, traditional dances, and offerings made to ancestors.