CaliToday (14/10/2025): Workers and families across Vietnam can officially begin planning for an extended period of reunion and celebration as Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has approved a nine-day holiday for the 2026 Lunar New Year, known locally as Tết Nguyên Đán.
The official holiday period for the upcoming Year of the Fire Horse (Bính Ngọ) will commence on Saturday, February 14, 2026, and run through Sunday, February 22, 2026. This allows for nine consecutive days off, a welcome announcement for millions who travel back to their hometowns for what is considered the most important and cherished festival in Vietnamese culture.
The approved schedule was based on a proposal submitted by the Ministry of Home Affairs, which sought to create a long, uninterrupted break by logically combining the statutory holidays with the preceding and following weekends.
The nine-day break is structured as follows:
Five official public holidays for the Tết festival as stipulated by Vietnam's Labour Code.
Four days from two adjacent weekends, creating a seamless holiday period.
The holiday will officially begin on the 27th day of the last lunar month of the Year of the Wood Snake and conclude on the 6th day of the first lunar month of the new Year of the Fire Horse. Workers and civil servants will be expected to return to work on Monday, February 23, 2026.
Tết is a time of immense cultural significance in Vietnam. It is an occasion for family reunions, paying homage to ancestors, and enjoying traditional foods and festivities. For many migrant workers in major cities like Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, the extended break is crucial, as it provides the necessary time to undertake long journeys back to their provincial homes to celebrate with their loved ones.
The early announcement of the holiday schedule is intended to give citizens, businesses, and transportation services ample time to prepare. Airlines, bus, and train operators are expected to ramp up their services to meet the massive surge in travel demand that characterizes the holiday period.
While the nine-day break applies officially to public sector employees, the government has encouraged private enterprises to align their holiday schedules to accommodate their workers' needs for family reunion and travel. According to the Labour Code, employers must notify their staff of their specific Tết holiday schedule at least 30 days in advance.
