Vietnam Holiday Schedule 2026: Fact-Checking the Official Tết Âm Lịch Break Length
The official Tết break duration hinges on Article 112 of Vietnam's Labor Code 2019, which mandates five fully paid days off for the Lunar New Year. The controversy rarely centers on those five days. Instead, debate always surrounds how the government bridges mid-week gaps with weekends.
When the Ministry of Home Affairs reviewed the calendar for the Year of the Horse 2026, the layout proved straightforward compared to previous years. The lunar transition aligns neatly with the workweek. The 29th and 30th days of the outgoing lunar year match Sunday, February 15 and Monday, February 16, 2026. The ministry structured the five core holiday days from Monday, February 16 through Friday, February 20.
Because government agencies and civil servants observe a standard five-day workweek with Saturdays and Sundays off, this statutory block slotted naturally between two weekends. No compensatory rest days or complex weekday swaps were required to assemble a nine-day uninterrupted holiday. Prime ministerial approval formalized this recommendation, establishing the official civil servant holiday calendar running from February 14 to February 22, 2026.
