Christmas in Vietnam

Ho Ho Ho

In less than couple day, Christmas would be here! So, how is Christmas in Vietnam going to be? Well, the holiday has only been adapted in the last few decades but it is rapidly becoming one of Viet Nam's four major holidays as the country becomes more Westernized and Christian.

Originally Viet Nam's major religions consisted of Buddhism, Confucianism, and Daoism, which still consist of majority of the population. Catholicism was not introduced until the French occupied Viet Nam and people started to become Christians around late 19th century. In another word, the holiday is still somewhat new to the people when you consider the fact that Buddhism has been there since 189 B.C.

Compare to the other religions in Viet Nam, the numbers of Christianities are a lot smaller. Christmas was first celebrated by the Catholics in Viet Nam since the French was there until the Communists took over. From there to 1980s, Christmas has to be celebrated privately since Christianity did not get along with the new government. With the liberal policies, Viet Nam was opened to western ideals and customs, meaning Christmas was once again welcome.

Christmas has become a big celebration with many Western similarities as to decoration, presents and even meals. On Christmas Eve, the people would attend mass late at night and then return home to prepare for the next day. On Christmas day, the people would start to get the supper ready as it is the important part of the holiday.

The East and West

Traditionally, common people's supper consist of chicken soup, while the more fortunate have turkey and Christmas pudding. In the past, Christmas is mostly based off French customs on the holiday while today it is over Western influence. However, that common custom has change.

Unlike Christmas in the United States, where most of the celebration takes place in the home with home cooked meals and family gathering, the Vietnamese hold the event outside. By this I mean that today people tend to celebrate Christmas by going out to eat in restaurants and having fun around the city with their family.

I think this the major different in how Christmas is celebrated in Viet Nam. Other than that, the culture is pretty much open so you can enjoy the holiday without worry of any restriction.

There are of course presents to be shared and that also means that Santa Claus is near. Santa Claus is also known as Ong Gia No-en or Old Man Noel. It's been said that Old Man Noel is a fairy who has magical powers and would give gifts to good little boys and girls.

In Viet Nam, the children would put their shoes in front of their houses on Christmas Eve and wake up the next morning to find Santa has filled it with gifts. If the family has a Christmas tree (cay Giang Sinh), Ong Gia Noel then will sneak into the house in the middle of night to put the presents under the tree. Don't worry kids, Santa will not be going to jail anytime soon since there are no house alarms in Viet Nam.

I will not keep you here for long. I know that everyone have a lot of things to taking care of. From wherever I am and wherever you are, may your holiday be fill with warmth and joy. We wish you a Merry Christmas. If you have any question, again, don't hesitate. don't forget to follow me on Or, you can follow me on Twitter.

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