Vietnam enjoys post-pandemic period with festive Christmas celebrations
The last fortnight has seen major cities across the country excitedly prepare to welcome Christmas, with festive elements found around almost every corner. Primary schools and nurseries can be heard blaring out traditional Christmas songs to welcome arriving students, shopping centres have launched a range of promotions to lure in customers looking to buy gifts, and many businesses and residential buildings have put up an array of festive decorations to mark the occasion. Whilst these aspects of the holiday season have become more prevalent during December in Vietnam over the last few years, many traditional aspects of the festivities have so far failed to emerge in the way Vietnamese people celebrate the holiday. Indeed, it is common for many local people to think that Christmas Day is actually on December 24th as opposed to December 25th as this date coincides with the end of the Christmas sales. I recall one year seeing staff hurriedly removing festive decorations at Royal City