The proposal to add War Invalids and Martyrs' Day on 27/7 to the annual list of public holidays for workers was raised during a preliminary review of a draft law. This draft law seeks to amend several articles of the Labor Code, the Archives Law, the Gender Equality Law, the Red Cross Activities Law, and the Employment Law. The Committee for Culture and Society discussed the draft law in a plenary meeting on 3/10.

Tran Thi Thanh Lam, Vice Chairwoman of the Committee for Culture and Society, stated that members agreed to add Vietnam Culture Day on 24/11 as a paid holiday. Furthermore, some members advocated for a similar provision for 27/7.

Proponents argue that adding 27/7 as a holiday would enable people to organize and participate in activities honoring those who rendered meritorious service to the revolution. This would uphold the traditions of "Uong nuoc nho nguon" (drinking water, remembering the source – a Vietnamese idiom emphasizing gratitude for one's origins) and "Den on dap nghia" (repaying kindness – showing gratitude for past favors).

Committee members also reported to competent authorities regarding a plan specifying forms of commemoration and gratitude for ancestors, national heroes, and those who rendered meritorious service, including war invalids and martyrs, throughout the nation's history of building and defending the country.

Responding to this proposal, Deputy Minister of Home Affairs Cao Huy acknowledged it as new content. He noted that a specialized agency had already submitted a proposal to competent authorities, and once official information is available, it will be reported to the government for consideration and addition.

War veterans at Dien Bien cemetery, 2024. Photo: Giang Huy

This is not the first time such a proposal has been made. During the amendment of the Labor Code in 2019, the government suggested that workers observe 27/7 as a day off to honor meritorious individuals. The rationale then was that the day had become a cultural symbol, embodying gratitude and national tradition, with the holiday choice aligning with customs in many countries.

However, the National Assembly did not approve the proposal at that time. Some delegates argued that activities honoring heroes, martyrs, and meritorious individuals were already conducted regularly over many years. Adding 27/7 as a holiday, they suggested, could prolong the sadness of losing loved ones to war, potentially affecting public sentiment.

Beyond the holiday addition, the draft law also revises regulations for determining and announcing the annual Lunar New Year and National Day holiday schedules. Under the proposed changes, the Prime Minister will specify the exact dates for Lunar New Year and National Day holidays based on actual conditions. The Minister of Home Affairs will then announce the holiday schedule for the following year by 30/9.

The drafting agency explained that this deadline aims to help officials, public employees, and businesses proactively plan, avoiding situations where holiday schedules are announced too close to the implementation date.

The task of announcing specific annual holiday dates is currently assigned to the Minister of Home Affairs by Decree 128/2025 on decentralization in home affairs, effective until 1/3/2027. This draft law integrates that content into the Labor Code for stable application.

If Vietnam Culture Day on 24/11 is added, workers would have a total of twelve paid public holidays annually, not including the proposed 27/7 holiday. These holidays include: one day for New Year's Day; five days for Lunar New Year; one day for Victory Day on 30/4; one day for International Labor Day on 1/5; two days for National Day; one day for Hung Kings' Commemoration Day; and one day for Vietnam Culture Day.

Son Ha