Vietnamese workers will be able to enjoy a three-day break from December 31 to January 2 to celebrate the New Year 2023.
The Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs (MOLISA) confirmed Thursday that since New Year’s Day falls on a Sunday, workers are entitled to an extra day off on Monday.
This means laborers who work 40-hour per week or five days a week will have a three-day holiday for the 2023 New Year, lasting from December 31, 2022, to January 2, 2023, the ministry noted. Those who work 48 hours or six days a week will have two days off for the upcoming 2023 New Year, from January 1-2, 2023.
While Vietnam has its own New Year celebration, called Tet, the country still joins the world in marking the first day of the Gregorian calendar. Vietnam follows the Lunar calendar.
For Tet 2023, MOLISA has proposed two options for the public holiday: seven-day break (from January 20 to January 26) as per regulations or a nine-day break (from January 21 to January 29). Lunar New Year’s Day falls on January 22.
More than two months before Vietnam’s biggest holiday, train tickets from Saigon are already selling out. The Saigon Railway Transport reported selling 10,247 tickets in just two hours.
Vietnamese workers usually get 11 days off for public holidays, while the number of days off for National Day (September 2) increases from one to two. If any holiday falls on the weekend, an extra day off is given as compensation.