This proposal is included in the Ministry of Home Affairs' latest draft law, which seeks to amend several articles of the Labor Code, Archival Law, Gender Equality Law, and Red Cross Activities Law.

Based on actual conditions, the Prime Minister will decide the specific dates for the Lunar New Year and National Day holidays. Following this, the Minister of Home Affairs will announce the annual public holiday schedule before September 30 of the preceding year. This early announcement enables officials, civil servants, public employees, citizens, and businesses to prepare appropriate programs and plans, avoiding last-minute notifications that cause disruption.

Compared to the June draft, the proposed announcement period is three months earlier, shifting from December 31 to before September 30. The Prime Minister's authority to decide specific dates for the Lunar New Year and National Day holidays remains unchanged, unlike an earlier draft that proposed extending this authority to all annual public holidays.

Quang Ba flower market, Hanoi, bustling in the days leading up to Tet Nguyen Dan. Photo: Giang Huy

The Ministry of Home Affairs also proposes designating November 24 as Vietnamese Culture Day, a fully paid public holiday. This aims to institutionalize cultural development policies from the Party and National Assembly.

If approved, Vietnam will have 12 official public holidays: one for New Year's Day, five for Lunar New Year, one for Hung Kings' Commemoration Day, one day each for April 30 and International Labor Day (May 1), two days for National Day, and one for Vietnamese Culture Day.

The draft law is expected to be presented to the National Assembly for consideration and approval at its October session, with an effective date of March 1, 2027, except for the provision on Vietnamese Culture Day.

Hong Chieu