Liberation Day & National Day: Public Holidays in Vietnam

National Public Holidays in Vietnam are days when workers get the day off work. Prior to 2007, Vietnamese workers observed 8 days of public holiday a year, among the lowest in the region. On 28 March 2007 the communist government added the traditional holiday commemorating the mythical Hùng Kings (from 2.879 BC - 258 BC) to its list of public holidays, increasing the number of days to 10. As in most other nations, if a holiday falls during the weekend, it is observed on the following Monday.

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Vietnam National Independence Day on 2^nd Sep:

September 2nd, 1945 is an important landmark marking a major turning point of Vietnam. It was an establishment day of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam and is also considered the National Independence Day of the current Socialist Republic of Vietnam. President Ho Chi Minh read the Declaration of Independence at Ba Dinh Square, officially claiming the independence and sovereignty of Vietnam from France and Japan.

As a typical National Day, Vietnamese has a day-break from work to commemorate the event’s historical significance. A notable sign for the cheerful spirit of the day is the appearance of Vietnam flags everywhere, coloring the whole country with lively red backgrounds and jovial yellow stars. The streets are exploded with a boom of red and yellow banners of celebrations and oversized posters of Uncle Ho speaking into a microphone in 1945.

There is also an annual marching on the Ba Dinh Square (Hanoi) and fireworks in the major cities of Vietnam. September 2 is truly an utmost special day for the whole Vietnam nation.

Vietnam Reunification / Liberation Day on 30^th Apr:

On April 30 1975, Communists defeated South Vietnam Gormernment to unify the whole country. On July 2, 1976, the first National Assembly of Unified Vietnam changed the country's name to the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and renamed the city after the country's first president, Ho Chi Minh. Until now, the old name Saigon is still used very commonly, especially in informal contexts. For people with long roots in Saigon, and especially the overseas Vietnamese community, the name Saigon is still the name they love and use every day. To commemorate the name Saigon and remind the Vietnamese community of their homeland, many places where overseas Vietnamese live, streets, businesses, and markets are named small Saigon area (Saigon, Little-Saigon, New Saigon).

List of National Public Holidays in Vietnam:
Date	English Name	Local Name	Length (Days)	Remarks
January 1	New Year's Day	Tết dương lịch	1	International public holiday
From last day of the last lunar month to 5th day of the first lunar month	Vietnamese New Year (Tet)	Tết Nguyên Đán	5	Lunar New Year Largest and most important holiday of the year, occurring around late January to early February
10th day of the 3rd lunar month	Hung Kings Commemorations	Giỗ tổ Hùng Vương	1	Commemoration of the ruling of ancient Hung Kings (2879 BC–258 BC), according to Vietnam's legend and history New holiday since 2007, occurring around April (adopted by the government on March 28, 2007)
April 30	Day of Southern Liberation and National Reunification	Ngày Giải phóng miền Nam, Thống nhất Đất nước	1	Capture of Saigon and reunification of Vietnam in 1975 after the Vietnam War
May 1	International Workers' Day	Ngày Quốc tế lao động	1	Also known as "Labor Day" International public holiday in many former and current communist and socialist countries
September 2	National Day	Quốc khánh	2	On 2 September 1945, President Ho Chi Minh declared Vietnam's independence from France's and Japan's occupation, establishing the Democratic Republic of Vietnam

Today, on this date every year, flags are raised across the country to commemorate the reunification of Vietnam at the end of the American War. Reunification Day, also called Liberation Day, is marked with military processions in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. This historical occasion creates an atmosphere of pride across the country as cities and hamlets alike are decorated with flags. Many locals take advantage of the time off to visit loved ones in their hometowns, hotels and restaurants put on feasts for their guests, and veterans are celebrated for their sacrifices by their families and friends.

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