Politics affects everything, including public holidays. As an indication of Vietnam’s new openness, Christinas, New Year’s Day, Tet (Lunar New Year) and Buddha’s Birthday were re-established as holidays after a 15-year lapse.

The following is a list of Vietnam’s pub?lic holidays:

New Year’s Day (Tet Duong Lich) 1 January

Anniversary of the Founding of the Viet?namese Communist Party (Thanh Lap Dang CSVN) 3 February – the Vietnamese Commu?nist Party was founded on this date in ] 930.

Liberation Day (Saigon Giai Phong) 30 April – the date on which Saigon surrendered is com?memorated nationwide as Liberation Pay Many cities and provinces also commemorate the anniversary of the date, in March or Aprit 1975, on which they were ‘liberated’ bv the North Vietnamese Army

International Workers’ Day (Quoc Te Lao Dong) 1 May – also known as May Day, this falls back-lo-back with Liberation Day, giving everyone a two-day holiday

Ho Chi Minh’s Birthday (Sinh Nhat Bac Ho) 19 May

Buddha’s Birthday (Phat Dan) Eighth day? of the fourth moon (usually June)

National Day (Quocc Khanh) 2 September -commemorates the proclamation of the Decla?ration of Independence ol the Democratic Re?public of Vietnam by Ho Chi Minh in 1945.

Cliiistmas (Giang Sinh) 25 December

Special prayers are held at Vietnamese and Chinese pagodas when the moon is full or just the thinnest sliver. Many Buddhists eat only vegetarian food on these days, which, according to the Chinese lunar calendar, fall on the 14th and 15th days of the month and from the last (29th or 30th) day of the month to the first daj of the next month.

The following major religious festivals in?clude Ihe lunar date (check against any Viet?namese calendar for the Gregorian dates):

Tet (Tel Nguyen Dan) first to seventh days of the first moon – the Vietnamese Lunar New Year is the most important festival of the year and falls in late January or early February. This public holiday is officially three days, but many peo?ple take an entire week off work and few busi?nesses are open.

Holiday of ihe Deal (Thanh Minh) Fifth day of the third moon – people pay solemn visits lo graves of deceased relatives, specially tidied up a few days before, and make offerings of food, flowers, Joss stick; and votive papers.

Buddha’s Birth, Enlightenment and Death Eighth day of the fourth moon-this day is cele?brated at pagodas and temples which, like many private homes, are festooned with lanterns. Pro?cessions are held in Ihe evening. This festival has been redesignated a public holiday.

Summer Solstice Day (Tet Doan Ngo) Fifth day of the fifth moon – offerings are made to spir?its, ghosts and the God of Death to ward of Fepi?demics. Human effigies are burned to satisfy the requirements of the Cod of Death for souls to staff his army.

Wandering Souls Day (Trung Nguyen) Fifteenth day of the seventh moon – this is the second-largest Vietnamese festival of the year. Offer?ings nf food and gifts arc made in homes and pagodas for the wandering souls of Ihe forgotten dead.

Mid-Autumn Festival (Trung Thu) Fifteenth day of the eighth moon – this festival is celebrated with moon cakes ot sticky rice filled with lotus seeds, watermelon seeds, peanuts, the yolks of duck eggs, raisins, sugar and other such things. This festival is like Christmas Day for children, who cairy colourful lanterns in Ihe form of boats, unicorns, dragons, lobsters, carp, hares, toads etc in an evening procession accompanied by the banging of drums and cymbals.

Confucius’ Birthday Twenty-eighth day of the ninth moon

Handing out wedding favors has always been the traditional way to thank your guests and show them your appreciation for everything that they’ve ever done for you. Wedding favors often bring your whole theme together and are a great way to add some functionality to your wedding tables by choosing wedding favors that also double as decorative pieces that add some distinct panache to your already stylish wedding.
Wedding favors serve as a testament to your wedding in each and every one of your guests’ homes. Each guest witnessed the lovely wedding reception that you had and the caring relationship between you and your new spouse and then they take a beautiful wedding favor home with them to help them remember your day forever.
Your wedding favors should be a complete reflection of you theme, your love, and your appreciation for all the family and friends that you invited to your special celebration. You should choose wedding favors that are useful in the home or just simply gorgeous when they are on display. Popular wedding favors are candles, treats, and chocolate because they are pretty much universally loved but you need to feel free to break tradition and give out something that shows off your unique personality. There are lots of great contemporary wedding favors out there that will shock your guests and get you a lot of praise from them.
Finding wedding favors can be a big part of your wedding planning but you shouldn’t ever let it become a chore. This is why I’ll give you a few examples of what you can find online when shopping for wedding favors. Wedding favors can be found very easily online and online shopping is often more effective because you can do it right from your home, order, and have everything shipped to your doorstep without any hassle. So try shopping online for some added convenience without restricting any of your options, in fact, you may even find more online than you can find in bridal stores or stores that carry party accessories. You should truly give your guests something spectacular to take home with them so that they know how much you really did appreciate their support on the most special day of your life. The following examples are just a very few representations of the multifarious themed and personalized wedding favors and bridal shower favors that are available online right at your fingertips at this instant just waiting for you to order them and give them to your guests to put a smile on everyone’s face.
Cheeseboard and Knife Favor:
This cheese cutting board is imprinted with several beautiful wine glasses and grape leaf patterns. There is also an elegant knife included. The favor is packaged in a great deluxe box topped off with a white mesh bow. This wedding favor will add some culture and sophistication to any wedding and will show your guests that you are a true connoisseur of fine wines and foods. Your guests will certainly love this useful wedding favor that they can use at their own social events and display in creative ways in their homes so that they will always remember your special wedding.
Candle Lamp Favors:
This is a six and a half inch tall base and stem with a votive candle holder at the top making this an elegant candle lamp that your guests can display in their homes and have an incandescent shine on everything around the candle lamp. The stem of the lamp is engraved with the bold four letter word of ‘LOVE’ to remind your guests why they were gathered at your wedding reception. The candle holder is of frosted glass and adds an elegant shade to the light of the candle.

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Soy candles are a relatively new product on the market. Although they are becoming easier to find in retail establishments, they are still considered at the high end of the market. However, those that know their candles know that soy candles have advantages over paraffin candles that, for some, make the extra cost? worth it.

Soy candles are healthier. Paraffin candles are a petroleum based product and burning petroleum releases a large number of harmful chemicals into the air, making them unhealthy for those with chronic breathing problems.

Soy candles have another element that makes them unique. Soy candles burn at such a low temperature and the soy has such a unique make up that they can be used as a massage oil. In fact, this is one of the newest treatments at some of the finest spas in the country.

Soy candle making supplies also have advantages over paraffin candle making products. ?Most soy candle making supplies are easier to handle than their paraffin counterparts. Paraffin wax comes in large blocks, which makes measuring and melting harder than soy. Soy wax comes in flakes which means that there is no trying to cut large blocks of paraffin, just simply measure out the amount that you need.

Soy candle making supplies also benefit American farmers and other industries that process the soy beans.? Soy candle making supplies are just one of the environmentally friendly and healthy products produced from soy beans. There has been a lot of talk in the news lately about reducing our country?s dependence on foreign oil supplies and by using soy candle making supplies we are making a small stride toward oil independence.

When making soy candles, there are a few things to keep in mind. First, soy candle making supplies can only be used with each other, meaning that you can?t use paraffin primed wicks with soy wax or use paraffin colors in soy wax. So if you decide to make soy candles, you?ll need to buy exclusively soy candle making supplies.

Soy candles can be scented with all natural essential oils. If you are making the candles to be used as massage candles, then this is the best way to scent them. These essential oils will be absorbed through the skin providing a variety of health benefits that cannot be derived from synthetic fragrances. It is also advisable if you plan to use your candles for massage that you leave them color free. Adding color to massage candles will make the person you are massaging look like an Easter egg.

Soy candles offer a variety of benefits to the environment, the economy and the user. These are still relatively unknown products in the major market and often if you want to find soy candles, you need to purchase them mail order or through a specialty holistic or metaphysical store. If you can make your own soy candles, you?ll not only have complete control over what goes into your candle as well as it?s size and shape, you?ll also save money and in this economy that?s something everyone can appreciate.

Wedding favors are a way of showing your gratitude and conveying your thanks to the guests who made your wedding ceremony more special with their presence. This tradition of wedding favors or ‘bonbonniere’ dates back to ancient European history when the bride and the groom used to present their wedding guests with gifts. Wedding favors could be anything edible or some show piece. And choosing a wedding favor is not that easy as it seems to be. Your guests have taken time out to share your special occasion with you. Hence it is important that you present them with something which they would relish. After all, planning a wedding is not just about buying beautiful and inexpensive wedding dresses.

There are lots of other things too. Here are some of the common and popular favors which you can consider:

Cardholders: Available in every imaginable color, they are a very popular wedding favor. Especially silver plated wine goblet place card holders are very elegant and stylish wedding favors.

Photo magnets: They can be good favors to be given to your guest. Be a little innovative. Add a personal touch and put an engagement photograph of you and your groom in it. You can find a huge variety of photo magnets to choose from such as silver, plastic, ceramic or gold.

Potpourri sachets: They are an affordable way to please your guests with stylishly packaged, aromatic potpourri sachets available in a variety of pleasing fragrances.

Candies: Delicious candies and sugared almonds are a nice favor to give. You can get them exquisitely gift wrapped in beautiful boxes.

Votive candles: They make a cute decorative gift. Wrap colorful votive candles in attractive paper, some fabric or in a cute box and tie it with a bow.

Wedding mint tins: Personalized wedding mint tins with your name inscribed on it or your photograph are perfect for wedding favor. Fill the tin of rectangular, square, round or any shape with the mints of your choice.

Heart- shaped soaps: Packaged beautifully, soaps again make a beautiful wedding favor.

Beach favors: If you are planning a beach wedding, you can gift sea shells to your guests filled with candies or sugar stars.. Or you can also give scented gel candles with seashells in it.

Wine favors: Now wine favors like wine pourer or wine stopper are becoming popular. They are a little expensive but they truly make a sophisticated and classy wedding favor.

Personalize the favor and inscribe your name and wedding date on the wine stopper or pourer. Once you have decided what you want as a wedding favor, order the favors as early as possible. Selecting a beautiful wedding favor is as important as finding beautiful and inexpensive wedding dresses. Just like there are online shops where you can find vast collection of inexpensive wedding dresses in different designs and styles, similarly you can check out the net where you would find wide variety of wedding favors and order from such online shops.