Vietnam considers designating remembrance day as public holiday

The Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MOLISA) has suggested designating July 27, the Day for Wounded and Fallen Soldiers of Vietnam, as a national public holiday.

July 27 is an occasion to pay tribute to those who served during wartime. (Photo: Dang Khoa)
July 27 is an occasion to pay tribute to those who served during wartime. (Photo: Dang Khoa)

The proposal is part of revisions to the Labour Code drafted by MOLISA.

According to the code’s editing board, for more than 70 years, a wide range of activities have been held annually on July 27 to pay tribute to national heroes, fallen soldiers and take care of wounded soldiers, families of fallen soldiers and national contributors.

The day has become a cultural symbol of the Vietnamese people and a time when they express their gratitude to those who have made contributions to the country.

In addition, the number of public holidays in Vietnam is much fewer than that of other countries in the region and the world.

Vietnamese workers have only ten public holidays while the figure is 28 in Cambodia, 15 in Brunei, 16 in Indonesia, 12 in Malaysia, 14 in Myanmar, 12 in the Philippines, 11 in Singapore and 16 in Thailand.

With one more holiday, workers will have a day off to show their gratitude to national contributors, have a rest to refresh and spend more time with family while boosting the growth of services.

The editors also argue that the designation of July 27 as a public holiday will distribute public holidays more evenly throughout the year, since there are currently no public holidays for the four months from May to September.

The proposal is similar to the custom of many countries in the world, where a public holiday is dedicated to honouring those who served during wartime.