Vietnam's festivals follow an age-old calendar based on Buddhist and ancient Confucian beliefs. The list below is a work in progress - a run-down of ten important Vietnamese holidays and festivals, although each province has its own series of festivals unique to the locals. Dates are subject to change without further notice.
The Vietnamese consider Tet to be the year's most important festival. Family members gather in their hometowns, traveling from across the country (or the world) to spend the Tet holidays in each other's company. On the stroke of midnight, as the old year turns into the new, Vietnamese usher out the old year and welcome the Kitchen God by beating drums, lighting firecrackers, and goading dogs to bark (a lucky omen).
February 7: Lim Quan Ho
On the 13th day of the first lunar month, visitors come to Lim Hill in Bac Ninh province to watch performances of "quan ho", traditional songs performed by both men and women from boats and from the Lim Pagoda. The songs cover numerous topics, such as greetings, exchanging love sentiments, and even trivial objects like village gates.March 1-10: Phu Giay Festival
At Phu Giay Temple in Nam Dinh province, tribute is paid to Lieu Hanh, one of the Vietnamese "four immortal gods", and the only one based on a real person (a princess of the 16th century who died young). Many devotees from all over make a pilgrimage to Phu Giay Temple to join the festival, taking advantage of the traditional lull in work during the third lunar month. Traditional diversions like cock-fighting, "keo chu", and folk singing are held all throughout the festival.March 1-21: Perfume Pagoda Festival
The Perfume Pagoda is Vietnam's most famous Buddhist pilgrimage site, welcoming hundreds of thousands of pilgrims who arrive at the sacred cave to pray for a happy and prosperous year ahead. This stream of pilgrims reaches its peak at the Perfume Pagoda Festival - devotees travel through a picturesque gauntlet to the sacred caves, first boarding boats that pass a landscape of rice paddies and limestone mountains, then going by foot past historical shrines and up hundreds of stone steps.March 5-7: Chu Dong Tu Festival
Downstream from Hanoi on the Red River, the Da Hoa and Da Trach temples in Khoai Chau district host a festival to Chu Dong Tu, one of the four immortal gods worshiped by Vietnamese. Ceremonies are performed at both temples between the 10th to the 12th day of the second lunar month. These then give way to traditional games and activities like human chess, wrestling, and Vietnamese dances.March 31-April 2: Thay Pagoda Festival
If any Buddhist monk deserved worship, it was Tu Dao Hanh, innovator and inventor. He made numerous advances in medicine and religion, but is mainly remembered for inventing water puppetry. The Thay Pagoda Festival celebrates Tu Dao Hanh's life with a procession of the monk's worshipping tablet, borne by representatives from four villages. The festival is celebrated by laymen with many water puppetry performances, particularly at the Thuy Dinh House in front of Tu Dao Hanh's pagoda. The festival takes place from the 5th to the 7th day of the third lunar month.Vietnam’s Buon Don district has long been famous for its M’Nong wild elephant tamers and trainers. Demand for their skills may have dried up somewhat, but Buon Don continues to celebrate its proud heritage every year with its annual Elephant Races, held every year in the forests near the Sevepoi River. The race takes place on a short racetrack a mile or so long, set on level ground. Each elephant is ridden by two jockeys; one steers the elephant, while the other manages the animal’s speed. Elephants can move at a surprisingly fast clip (25 mph), especially when encouraged by crowds yelling and beating gongs!
April: Lang Ca Ong (Whale Festival)
Vietnamese fishermen believe whales are their protectors on the high seas. The Lang Ca Ong festival thanks the whales for their support and prays for prosperity in the coming year. This festival occurs in the middle of the third lunar month, and is common in fishing communities throughout Vietnam. Devotees offer prayers to the whale god for his continued protection, and proffer sacrifices (which do not contain seafood). At dawn on the second day, a fluvial procession is performed to propitiate the whale gods.May 2: Buddha's Birthday
Buddha's Birthday is celebrated with much gusto in Vietnam, despite its nominal Communist status. Most Buddhist temples and many towns throw great festivals in honor of the Buddha, drawing thousands of devotees from nearby towns.October 3: Mid-Autumn Festival
The Mid-Autumn festival, or Tết Trung Thu, is marked with fanciful lanterns to help a legendary moon-bound figure back to Earth. The Mid-Autumn Festival is a favorite with children, as the occasion calls for more toys, candies, fruit, and entertainment than any other time of the year. Mid-Autumn parties serve cakes like the banh deo and banh nuong, shaped like fish and the moon. Finally, lion dances are commonly performed by traveling troupers who go from house to house to perform for a fee.
