10 Festivals In Vietnam That Are All About Glitz, Glam, & Grandeur This 2020!

Top Festivals In Vietnam That One Must Experience

While majority of the biggest festivals take place in the beginning of the year, it happens to be the perfect time to witness Vietnam in all its might. Take a look at some of the best Vietnam holidays and festivals that you must not miss during your next trip to this enchanting city.

Tet Nguyen Dan

Perfume Pagoda Festival

Hue Festival

Buddha’s Birthday

Hoi An Lantern Festival

Mid-Autumn Festival

Wandering Souls Day

Festival Tet Han Thuc

1. Tet Nguyen Dan

Also known as Vietnam Lunar New Year, Tet Nguyen Dan is an important festival in the list of traditional festivals in Vietnam. This Vietnamese festival is celebrated to thank the Gods for the arrival of spring while the locals pay respects to their ancestors and get together with family members to welcome the New Year. During this festival, bustling big cities like Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City are less crowded as many people travel back to their hometowns to celebrate with family. Hanoi is a great place to enjoy Tet as Hanoi Opera House often hosts wonderful parties and firework displays at night while in the morning, you can see locals lighting incense and praying to ancestors at Ngoc Son Temple or Quan Su Pagoda. Don’t forget to be a part of Tet festival in vietnam 2020 when exploring the country.

Held On: The 1st day of the first month of the Chinese lunar calendar

2. Perfume Pagoda Festival

When it comes to Vietnam festivals 2020, the Perfume Pagoda Festival is another extremely important one. The Perfume Pagoda is the most famous pilgrimage site in the country that welcomes thousands of pilgrims who make their way to the sacred caves to pray for a happy, and a prosperous year ahead. During this Vietnamese festival , devotees travel through a scenic gauntlet to get to the caves. Pass through a picturesque landscape of limestone mountains via a boat, rice paddies, walk past historical shrines and about hundreds of steps made of stones to arrive at the ultimate destination.

Held On: The 15th day of the first month of the Vietnamese Lunar Calendar

3. Hue Festival

This Vietnam music festival is one of the major Vietnamese festivals and celebrationthat takes place every two years in the UNESCO-listed Hue City. Experience and enjoy an amazing array of games, cultural events, and performances that is held for a week. In this one of the music festivals in Vietnam activities like dialogue of drums and percussions, Hue Poetry Festival, and Ao Dai Fashion Shows, human chess, boat racing, kite flying, and more, there will never be a dull moment in this festival. You can also enjoy art exhibitions, film screenings, acrobatics, puppetry, and street performances that are a part of traditional customs practiced by the Nguyen Dynasty back then.

Held On: Once in 2 years during April to June

4. Buddha’s Birthday

Buddha’s birthday is celebrated by devotees all over the country, and it is one of the most important festivals in Vietnam. Many temples throughout the country are adorned with lavish decorations and locals bring offerings of various Vietnamese dishes, flower garlands, and fruits. Thousands of visitors flock to Hoi An, considered to be the best place to celebrate this day and to partake in prayer sessions and street parades. Buddha’s Birthday is held at Phap Bao Pagoda with the day starting with a procession of monks along Hoi An Ancient Town’s streets before devotees make their way to the temple to listen to Buddhist scriptures and perform religious rites.

Held On: The 8th day of the 4th Lunar month

5. Hoi An Lantern Festival

If you want to witness a spectacular display, you should not miss the Hoi An Lantern Festival. It is a lantern festival in Vietnam 2020 that takes place every month, transforming the quaint UNESCO World Heritage Site into an awe-inspiring display of paper lanterns of all shapes, sizes, and colors. Every restaurant, bar, shop, and business in the Ancient Town stops using electricity and lights up their venues with hundreds of lanterns as well as candles. While this festival takes place in Hoi An, the Ancient Town area is the best place to celebrate. This too is considered to be a famous festival in Vietnam

Held On: The 14th day of every month

6. Mid-Autumn Festival

This is one of the best festivals in Vietnam that is celebrated on the 14th and 15th day of the lunar month. It is a very colorful festival wherein children and adults come together to enjoy the festivities. Lanterns are lit during the night time which makes this festival more worthy of visiting. Also known as the harvest festival, special food like moon cakes, jellies, and biscuits are prepared and served. Do not miss the Lion Dance performed on this day as it is a real spectacle.

Held on: Mid-September

7. Wandering Souls Day

It is believed to be one of the best full moon festival in Vietnam culture that the ancestors are able to visit their families on the 15th day of the 7th Lunar Month. On this day families flock to Buddhist temples offering respect to their loved once and have cakes, treats, food etc. This is a very extraordinary tradition that is a part of Vietnam festivals and celebrations.

Held on: Early September

8. Lim Festival

One of the traditional festivals in Vietnam 2020, Lim Festival is the celebration of ‘Quan Ho’ singing. On this day, people in Vietnam play local games like tug-of-war, bamboo fighting, and wrestling. But the main highlight of this event is the choir singing where people dress up in colorful traditional costumes and sing local folk songs. It is one of the amazing ways for travelers to explore and learn about the traditions and culture of Vietnam.

Held on: 12th and 13th day of the first lunar month i.e. February

9. Phu Giay Festival

Proposed in the honor of Mother Saint Lieu Hanh, this festival is celebrated in Phu Giay Temple of Nam Dinh province, 55 km from Hanoi city. Why you should come all this way to watch the festivity here is because it is the largest and most original of all. People wear traditional costumes and carry ornated bamboo relics. Of course, there are cultural activities and local games held at this festival.

Held on: 30th day of the 2nd lunar month

10. Tet Han Thuc

Also known as the Cold Food Festival, Tet festival, Vietnam is one of the unique Vietnam festivals 2020 celebrated in the honor of Jie Zhitui, the loyal underman of the Duke of Quin in the 7th century B.C. The Duke neglected his loyal underman who then retreated to woods with his mother. Jie refused all the requests and appeals from the Duke to come back which made Duke light his house on fire to lure them out to the city. But he refused and instad dies in the fire. The Duke then commemorated the festival in his remembrane when any fire lighting is prohibited for the day.

Held in: April

These fascinating festivals in Vietnam is a fantastic way to experience the country’s culture. Plan a trip to Vietnam now and immerse yourself in rich culture and vibrant traditions of one of the best holiday destinations in the world.