Did You Know?
In his 1945 declaration, Ho Chi Minh opened by quoting the U.S. Declaration of Independence's line that 'all men are created equal,' linking Vietnam's founding to that global principle of liberty.
National Day
🇻🇳 Vietnam
- Public Holiday
- Countrywide
- Fixed date
Overview
Vietnam's National Day, known locally as Quốc khánh, commemorates September 2, 1945, when President Ho Chi Minh read the Declaration of Independence in Hanoi's Ba Dinh Square, proclaiming the Democratic Republic of Vietnam and ending decades of colonial rule. It is Vietnam's foremost civic holiday, observed nationwide each year with public events, flag displays, and family gatherings.
What It Is
As a nationwide public holiday, National Day gives workers two consecutive days off — September 2 and an adjoining day set each year. Streets and government buildings across Vietnam are decorated with red-and-yellow national flags, and major cities such as Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City hold fireworks displays and public gatherings in the evening. Many people travel to be with family, and flag-raising ceremonies mark the morning in cities and towns nationwide.
Why It Matters
National Day marks September 2, 1945, when President Ho Chi Minh stood before a crowd in Hanoi's Ba Dinh Square and read the Declaration of Independence, proclaiming the Democratic Republic of Vietnam and ending more than eighty years of French colonial rule as well as wartime Japanese occupation. For Vietnam, the day represents the founding moment of the modern nation-state, arriving after decades of anti-colonial resistance. It remains the country's central expression of independence and sovereignty, and the date anchors Vietnam's modern national identity and collective memory of the struggle for self-rule.
Holiday in Context
Vietnam's National Day falls within a wider wave of Southeast Asian independence declarations that followed Japan's surrender in August 1945, when colonial powers were briefly absent. Indonesia declared independence just over two weeks earlier, on August 17, 1945, making the two nations' founding days part of the same regional moment. Vietnam's own independence struggle continued for years afterward, but September 2 remains the date the nation marks as its founding.
Countries Celebrating
1 country
See what else is celebrated today around the world.
Discover other holidays and observances happening right now.