Visitors at the Hoàn Kiếm Lake pedestrian zone in Hà Nội. — VNA/VNS Photo Thành Phương

HÀ NỘI — Speculation about a possible nine-day holiday at the end of this month has been ruled out, with authorities confirming that the country will stick to its approved 2026 public holiday schedule.

Responding to recent reports, officials said there is no plan to swap working days to combine the upcoming Hùng Kings’ Commemoration Day, Reunification Day (April 30) and International Workers’ Day (May 1) into a single extended break.

Vũ Trọng Bình, Director General of the Employment Department under the Ministry of Home Affairs, said the holiday calendar for 2026 was approved by the Government and announced in October 2025 after wide consultation, in line with the Labour Code.

“There is no new policy on rearranging working days. The holiday schedule will be implemented as previously issued,” Bình said.

Under the plan, the Hùng Kings’ Commemoration Day falls on Sunday, April 26 (the 10th day of the third lunar month), with a compensatory day off on Monday, April 27. This creates a three-day break from April 25 to 27.

Employees will then return to work on April 28 and 29 before the next holiday period. The April 30 and May 1 holidays, combined with the weekend, will provide a four-day break from Thursday, April 30 to Sunday, May 3.

The schedule applies to civil servants, public employees and workers in the State sector.

In the private sector, holiday arrangements follow the Labour Code and agreements between employers and employees. Some universities have adjusted their timetables to help students and staff plan travel, while a number of businesses are considering rearranging working days to create longer breaks.

Việt Nam currently has 11 official public holidays each year, including one day for New Year’s Day, five days for Tết (Lunar New Year), one day for Hùng Kings’ Commemoration Day, two days for the April 30–May 1 holiday, and two days for National Day.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism is drafting a National Assembly resolution on policies to boost cultural development, including a proposal to designate November 24 as Việt Nam Cultural Day, which would be a paid public holiday if approved. — VNS