In Ha Noi, with temperatures around 21 degrees Celsius, many residents and tourists gathered at St. Joseph's Cathedral (Hoan Kiem ward) for Christmas carols and mass.

Ly Quoc Su street, leading to St. Joseph's Cathedral, was packed with people.

At 8 PM, St. Joseph's Cathedral began a music program featuring songs praising Christ.

Christmas is a major Catholic holiday celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ. The vigil mass is held on the evening of 24/12, with the main mass on 25/12.

Foreign tourists dressed as Santa Claus enjoyed themselves in front of St. Joseph's Cathedral.

In Ho Chi Minh City, large crowds gathered at Tan Dinh Church on Hai Ba Trung street, Xuan Hoa ward, to attend mass. The more than 150-year-old structure features Romanesque architecture and is painted pink, earning it the nickname "pink church" and attracting international visitors to Ho Chi Minh City.

A group of women dressed as Santa Claus took souvenir photos near Ho Guom.

This evening, the Hoan Kiem Ward People's Committee organized artistic lighting around the lake. This event marked the beginning of a series of cultural and artistic programs to welcome New Year 2026, serving both residents of the capital and domestic and international tourists.

"Every year, my family goes to pray for peace during the holiday," said Ngo Hong Nhat (formerly of District 4), carrying his child while out celebrating.

Inside Tan Dinh Church, many parishioners attended mass.

Hundreds of parishioners gathered at Tan Dinh Church to celebrate Christmas.

This afternoon, influenced by cold air from the North, Ho Chi Minh City experienced heavy rain on Christmas for the first time in the past five years. By 4:30 PM, the rain had stopped, and the weather was cool.

About 1.5 km away, the rooftop of a shopping mall near Notre Dame Cathedral (Saigon ward) was packed with people waiting for the moment the church lights up.

This location offers a direct view of the church and is open to the public for free, drawing large crowds during Christmas.

Hoang Quang Minh and Nguyen Thi Kieu Oanh celebrated Christmas Eve together for the first time (left). Nearby, Tran Thu Trang, 31 years old, and her son came to admire Saigon Notre Dame Cathedral lit up for Christmas. She said, "We knew it would be very crowded today, but my son and I still wanted to come to join the peaceful Christmas atmosphere."

Giang Huy - Thanh Tung - Quynh Tran