On December 9, the Department of Education and Training of Ho Chi Minh City held a professional meeting on general education for the first semester of the 2025-2026 school year.

At the conference, some school leaders asked the Department of Education and Training about whether schools can give students an extra day off on Friday (January 2) since New Year's Day (January 1, 2026) falls on Thursday.

Responding to this issue, Mr. Nguyen Ha Nguyen, Deputy Chief of Office of the Department of Education and Training of Ho Chi Minh City, said that the Department has given the initiative to schools; principals can decide to let students take an extra day off on January 2.

Ho Chi Minh City student Nguyen Hue 21.jpg
Students in Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Nguyen Hue

Mr. Nguyen said that according to regulations, the New Year holiday is only one day (January 1, 2026). However, due to the nature of the education sector, schools can flexibly arrange for students to have an additional day off on January 2. Thus, students will have four days off, from Thursday (January 1, 2026) to Sunday (January 4, 2026).

According to Mr. Nguyen, schools can organize online classes on Fridays to ensure the program.

Previously, regarding the 2025-2026 school year schedule, Mr. Ho Tan Minh, Chief of Office of the Department of Education and Training of Ho Chi Minh City, said that the department will submit to the People's Committee of Ho Chi Minh City a proposal for the 2026 Lunar New Year holiday, expected to be about 2 weeks.

According to Mr. Minh, the 2025-2026 school year schedule in Ho Chi Minh City is built according to the regulations of the Ministry of Education and Training. Accordingly, the school year starts from September 5 and ends on May 31, ensuring 35 weeks of actual teaching.

During this time, schools can proactively arrange their teaching plans as long as they ensure enough actual study weeks. The Lunar New Year holiday schedule will be arranged appropriately, but must still ensure compliance with regulations on the number of teaching weeks.

“The Department will propose a full-week Tet holiday schedule, meaning a break from the weekend and a return to school at the beginning of the week. The official Tet holiday plan needs to wait for the HCMC People’s Committee to issue. It is expected that the Department will propose that students have a two-week Tet holiday,” Mr. Minh informed.

In the 2025-2026 school year schedule issued by the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee at the end of August, semester I begins on September 5, ensuring 18 weeks of actual study; the remaining time is for other activities. Semester II begins on January 19, 2026, ensuring 17 weeks of actual study. The school year ends before May 31, 2026.

From this time frame and the proposed plan of the Department of Education and Training, the 2026 Lunar New Year holiday for students in Ho Chi Minh City will probably take place from February 9, 2026 to February 22, 2026 (from December 22 to the 6th day of the Lunar New Year). Including weekends, the Tet holiday for students in Ho Chi Minh City will be about 16 days.

Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/hoc-sinh-tphcm-co-the-duoc-nghi-tet-duong-lich-2026-lien-tuc-4-ngay-2470942.html