Most traditional festivals in Vietnam have close links with Chinese cultural traditions, and follow the lunar calendar, which has only 29.5 days a month. Accordingly, the solar dates change annually, and the festivals do not fall on fixed dates. Secular holidays, by contrast, are fixed to the Western calendar, and often associated with the country’s recent revolutionary history. Over the past two decades, with the liberalization of the Vietnamese economy and society, many traditional festivals have also staged a grand comeback, including those related to the imperial dynasties of Vietnam. These are marked by ancestor worship ceremonies, colorful parades, feasts, singing, and dancing. In addition to nationwide events, there are many local festivals as well, especially in the Red River Delta. The ethnic minorities in the north, and the Cham and Khmer of the south celebrate their own festivals.
Festivals require many compulsory rituals, which are carried out in a strict order from the preparation to the ending of a festival. In general, a festival has the following rituals:
There is a very interesting kind of market in the Mekong River Delta. Thousands of boats gather to form a place of economic activity. Trading activities take place all day, but the most exciting time is in the morning when boats arrive loaded up with agricultural products.
Culture Guide
