Saigon festival season

Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) is a place of constant movement, an economic and financial center, and home to nearly nine million people from all over the country. In recent years, Saigon has emerged as an international city with strong attraction and competition with other international cities in the region such as Singapore, Bangkok or Kuala Lumpur. Integration and development are most clearly reflected in the New Year festival season. There we see a Saigon with a dynamic, fresh and passionate vitality, a very Saigon color that we cannot find in Hanoi or Da Nang. About fifteen years ago, Christmas and Easter were mainly celebrated in the Catholic hamlets of District 8, Tan Phu District, and Go Vap District. The neighborhoods and alleys were decorated with colorful lights and flowers, along with nativity scenes, the Virgin Mary, and the baby Jesus. The Catholic community went to church, read prayers, and sang hymns. On these occasions, the roads leading to Notre Dame Cathedral, Tan Dinh Church, Huyen Si Church, Cha Tam Church, etc. were often jammed. From afar, one could hear the sound of bells and the echoes of hymns.

As time goes by, Christmas and New Year's Day gradually become common holidays for Saigon people. Large shopping centers such as Bitexco, Landmark 81, entertainment areas, and luxury apartment buildings are all lavishly decorated, usually in red, with pine trees, Santa Claus and reindeer, along with year-end promotions. These places become familiar destinations for Saigon people during the holiday season, especially young families with small children. For European and American companies operating in Saigon, Christmas is also an official holiday.

In recent years, with the strong development of craft breweries, beer-clubs have become a place for young people, especially office workers, to celebrate the New Year. These beer clubs also organize special programs during the festival such as games with prizes, music and dance shows, etc. Famous breweries in Saigon include Pasteur Street Brewing Company, Heart of Darkness Brewery-Saigon, Biacraft Artisan Ales, East West Brewing Co, Winking Seal Beer Co, etc. After gathering at these clubs, young people often go to Nguyen Hue Boulevard to celebrate the New Year's Count-down party.

Heritage Magazine