Phat Diem Cathedral in Ninh Binh Province is considered the spiritual home for the seven million Catholics who live in Vietnam, a predominantly Buddhist nation. Now Christmas is one of the major festivals in Vietnam, celebrated with much fanfare by all religious communities. Liberalist policies adopted since the 1980s saw Vietnam warming up to western influences and ideals and Christmas in Vietnam came back triumphantly. However, they have been improving since the introduction of economic reforms in the late 1980s.
Since the end of the Vietnam War in 1975, church-state relations have not always been smooth. The church-state relations soured during that time and the Catholics were relegated to celebrating Jesus’s birthday in privacy. That is until the Communists took over political power in 1975. The Catholics are a minority in Vietnam but they used to celebrate Christmas in Vietnam quite in peace right from the days of the French rule. History of Christmas In VietnamĬhristmas in Vietnam has had a tumultuous history. This is because the Vietnamese are a fun-loving, sociable people and the various Vietnam festivals and events are actually occasions for them to a gala time, all together. Christmas in Vietnam is a grand party. However, during French rule, many people became Christians, that occupy 8 to 10 percent of whose population. Traditional Vietnamese religions are Buddhism and the Chinese philosophies of Taoism and Confucianism. Although the Christians observed the religious rituals of Christmas. In Vietnam, Christmas was celebrated joyously with people thronging city roads right from Christmas Eve, which is often more important than Christmas Day!Ĭhristmas is one of the four most important festivals of the Vietnamese year, including the birthday of Buddha, the New Year and the Mid-autumn Festival.
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