The Country That Celebrates Women's Day Twice a Year

March 8. International Women's Day.

In most countries, it's a symbolic occasion at best.
In Vietnam, it's a full-blown national celebration.

Flower markets are packed before dawn. Offices organize group dinners. Streets fill with people carrying bouquets.

And Vietnam does this twice a year. Few countries take Women's Day quite this seriously.

Two Women's Days, Two Origins

The first is March 8, International Women's Day, same as everywhere else.

The second is October 20, Vietnamese Women's Day — unique to Vietnam.
In 1930, the Anti-Imperialist Women's Association was founded on this day. It later became the Vietnam Women's Union.
October 20 was designated as a day to honor women's contributions to the revolution and nation-building.

For many Vietnamese, October 20 feels closer to home than March 8.

Neither date is a public holiday. There's no day off. But the whole country celebrates anyway.

Flower Prices Triple, Vendors Take Orders Past Midnight

Flowers are the default gift on Women's Day in Vietnam.
Vietnamese women enjoy flower arranging as a hobby, and the country grows a wide variety. Flowers are the obvious choice.

But prices spike every year as March 8 approaches.

Vietnam's biggest flower-growing region is Da Lat. The rose farms around Lang Biang cover about 600 hectares.
On a normal day, a single Da Lat rose retails for 20,000 to 40,000 VND (roughly $0.80 to $1.60). A bouquet runs about 400,000 to 500,000 VND.

Two days before March 8, velvet roses jump three to four times in price, with bouquets hitting 600,000 to 700,000 VND.
Red rose supply drops sharply, and imports from China are limited. Vendors report shortages.

Hanoi's Quang An flower market fills up before dawn. Vendors take orders well past midnight.
HCMC's Ho Thi Ky flower market is packed too. Some buyers switch to silk flowers — beautifully designed and they don't wilt.

This year, March 8 falls on a Sunday. Many people bought flowers early on Friday and Saturday, and markets were buzzing from March 6.

Flowers Are Just the Start

In Vietnam, Women's Day gifts go far beyond romantic partners.
Mothers, sisters, female coworkers, classmates, even casual female friends — they're all on the list.

At schools, students pool money to buy a rose for every girl in class.
Teachers and female students wear ao dai for group photos, and some schools host poetry readings or talent shows.

At workplaces, departments prepare small red envelopes for female staff, followed by group lunches or dinners.
Some companies hold award ceremonies for outstanding female employees. Others simply give women the afternoon off.

The streets change too.
Two or three days before Women's Day, vendors pop up selling flowers and heart-shaped balloons.
Restaurants roll out ladies-only set menus. Spas offer half-price deals. Malls hang promotional banners everywhere.
The commercial energy feels similar to Mother's Day in other countries.

Vietnamese media noted a shift in gift trends this year. Fresh flowers are still the top choice, but beauty gadgets and "healing" gifts are gaining ground.
Essential oil diffusers, Bluetooth speakers, and sleep-aid lamps — things designed to help people unwind — saw a noticeable jump in searches on e-commerce platforms.

Celebrations also vary between north and south.
In the south, around HCMC and the Mekong Delta, things are more commercialized. Restaurants and malls run themed promotions, and young couples treat it as a date night.
In the north, traditions lean more toward family dinners and flowers.

Ao Dai Week: A Nationwide Movement Starting With What You Wear

This year's March 8 comes with a national campaign: Ao Dai Week.

The Vietnam Women's Union launched Ao Dai Week in 2019. It runs from March 1 to 8 every year.
Female civil servants, teachers, and students are encouraged to wear the traditional ao dai during this period. March 8 is the designated nationwide wearing day.

The main event this year was on Nguyen Hue Walking Street in HCMC.
March 6 and 7 featured an ao dai art performance and an opening ceremony, plus a mass folk dance flash mob with about 50,000 participants.
The 12th annual Ao Dai Festival and the "Charming HCMC Ao Dai" pageant finals ran alongside.

Organizers also launched an "Ao Dai of Love" program, donating ao dai to women in financial hardship.

How Do Other Countries Celebrate?

Vietnam isn't the only country that takes Women's Day seriously.

In Russia, March 8 is a public holiday. The whole country gets the day off.
Flower sales surpass Valentine's Day. Vendors can earn 15 times their normal weekly revenue.
The classic flower is mimosa, a tradition dating back to the Soviet era. Tulips are popular now too.
Men give flowers to every woman around them — coworkers, teachers, even cashiers at their regular shops.

Eastern European countries share similar traditions. Every woman in the family receives flowers, from baby girls to grandmothers.
Italy celebrates with mimosa as well. Some places call it "Mimosa Day."

The U.S., by contrast, barely acknowledges Women's Day at all.

What makes Vietnam stand out is that it's one of very few countries that celebrates Women's Day twice a year.
March for the international one, October for its own.
Two rounds of flowers, two rounds of gifts.

That probably helps explain why Vietnam's flower industry is so thriving.