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Here is a list of traditional holidays in Vietnam as far as I know (I use "holiday" to translate the Vietnamese word "Tet" which means both "holiday" and a "specific natural condition", the latter being very obscure). Their dates are all in Vietnamese Lunar Calendar. Some of them are related to agriculture (traditionally the most important sector of Vietnamese economy), some of them have religious meaning, most (many people would say all) of them bear the legacies of the strong cultural relation between Vietnam and South China. The holidays that are still widely celebrated in the modern time are marked with an asterisk.

1. Nguyen Dan* (Lunar New Year): the first three day of the Lunar year. The fact that this is holiday is referred to as "Tet" (the Vietnamese equivalence of "holiday" as mentioned above) shows that this is THE holiday of the year. It is the only traditional holiday that is also an official public holiday i.e. people have days-off. The name "Nguyen Dan" means "new morning" which implies the beginning of a new life cycle.

2. Thuong Nguyen (the first full moon): the 15th day of the 1st month. People visit pagodas, temples and other holy places on this day. There is a Vietnamese proverb saying the homage in the first full moon is the most meaningful. To the Buddhist, this day is the birthday of the Amitabha Buddha. To the rest, it marks the end of the Lunar New Year festivities and the beginning of work.

3. Han Thuc: the 3rd day of the 3rd month. This is a "Chinese" holiday i.e. it is not fully localized when it comes to Vietnam. The name "Han Thuc" means "cold food". This holiday commemorates a Chinese martyr who died in a fire. On this day, people avoid cooking (and using fire in general) by just using sticky rice and rice cake prepared the day before (hence the name "cold food"). In Vietnam, the real meaning of the holiday is not always remembered and people use cold food more or less just out of the force of habit.

4. Phat Dan* (birthday of the Gautama Buddha): the 8th day of the 4th month. This holiday is relevant mostly to Buddhists but non-Buddhists would also visit pagodas on this holiday. Like the life of Jesus Christ is celebrated on Christmas in the West, the life and teachings of Gautama Buddha are commemorated under different forms: songs, plays, storytelling, etc. Charity events are often held on this day.

5. Doan Ngo* (the beginning of summer): the 5th day of the 5th month. The name "Doan Ngo" means "high noon" and this holiday reminds

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