By dusk on December 24, streets flowing toward the heart of the southern metropolis teemed with festive crowds. Illuminated by thousands of LED lights, Saigon Notre-Dame Cathedral has emerged as a magnet for visitors and local young people alike, shining as the city’s most vivid stage of cultural exchange.
Here, young people, dressed in festive outfits, gather hand in hand, snapping selfies under the glow of LED lights, accompanied by modern Christmas tunes from nearby malls and cafes. Foreign visitors delight in the Western-style Christmas displays, uniquely adorned with bamboo, rattan, and woven materials that reflect Viet Nam’s artisanal spirit.
Captivated by the vibrant holiday atmosphere around the Saigon Notre-Dame Cathedral and Diamond Plaza, Slovak tourist Mariana Leskovkov said that celebrating Christmas in Viet Nam is a truly unique experience compared to her home country.
She described Christmas in Viet Nam as a vibrant mix of religion and street-festival spirit, with colours, sounds, and celebrations spreading from churches and homes to streets.
In the weeks leading up to Christmas, streets across HCM City - especially Pham The Hien in Chanh Hung and Binh Dong wards - home to five parishes in the city, Le Duc Tho, Pham Van Chieu, Thong Nhat, and Nghia Phat - have drawn thousands each evening, mostly young visitors. Many non-Catholics joyfully take selfies by colorful nativity scenes, celebrating peace and life’s brighter values.
Solidarity and kindness define Christmas in HCM City, where love transcends religion and ethnicity. A striking example is Most Venerable Thich Le Trang, Head of the Viet Nam Buddhist Sangha (VBS) Executive Board of HCM City, extended Christmas greetings to Archbishop Nguyen Nang of the Archdiocese of Ho Chi Minh City, and they pledged to guide believers and followers to live virtuous lives in love, compassion, and charity, serving as a vivid testament to religious unity.
Since early December 2025, delegations from central and local agencies, along with representatives of political and social organisations, have visited Catholic and Protestant sites across the city to extend Christmas greetings. These activities demonstrate the administration’s care and support for religious activities, and strengthen the spirit of cooperation between believers and authorities in the city’s development and construction process.
