Vietnam celebrates National Day on 2 September, commemorating the 1945 declaration of independence.
On 2 September 1945, Hồ Chí Minh read the Declaration of Independence of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam at Ba Đình Square in Hanoi. The declaration followed Japan’s surrender in World War II and the August Revolution, during which the Việt Minh seized control in much of the country.
The date is also associated with Hồ Chí Minh’s death in 1969, which occurred on the same day. Vietnam’s official holiday is commonly called Quốc khánh, meaning “National Day,” rather than simply Independence Day.
A common mix-up is 30 April, which commemorates the Fall of Saigon in 1975 and the end of the Vietnam War. Vietnam’s National Day instead recalls the 1945 proclamation that established the revolutionary government.