Vietnamese Women’s Day falls on 20 October every year, and it is not a day off: offices, schools and shops stay open, and the day is marked with flowers, a small gift, a card or a meal. In Saigon you will see it coming: flower stalls spill onto the sidewalks, someone in the office asks the men to chip in, and your child needs a bouquet for the teacher. What nobody explains to newcomers is who to remember, and how far to go. This guide covers both, plus one Vietnamese line for the card.
What Vietnamese Women’s Day Marks, and Why 20 October
The date belongs to the Vietnam Women’s Union (Hội Liên hiệp Phụ nữ Việt Nam). Its roots go back to a Communist Party conference in October 1930 that called for women’s associations to be organized. In June 1976, a national conference united the country’s women’s unions into one organization and chose 20 October 1930 as its founding date. In 2010, the Secretariat of the Party Central Committee agreed to make 20 October Vietnamese Women’s Day every year. The union sets out these dates on its page of historical milestones, written in Vietnamese.
What it is not is a public holiday. Wikipedia’s list of public holidays in Vietnam places 20 October among the observances that “do not involve days off but are widely observed and celebrated across the country.” In 2026 it is an ordinary working Tuesday, so flowers go to the office in the morning and anything personal waits for the evening or the weekend before.
20/10 vs 8/3: Two Women’s Days in One Year
Vietnam also marks International Women’s Day on 8 March; the same Wikipedia list includes both dates. The gestures are much the same: flowers, a card, a small office gift, a meal out. 8 March is shared with the rest of the world; 20 October is Vietnam’s own, tied to the women’s union. Many offices mark both, so if yours collected for flowers in March, expect it to collect again now.
One more date sits close by: 20 November is Vietnamese Teachers’ Day, which the same page lists as a school holiday. It is the bigger day for thanking a teacher, so keep 20 October small for teachers.
Who to Mark It For: Partner, Office, Home and School
Expats tend to forget one of three circles: work, home or school. The last column is a feel, not a figure.
| Who | What is usual | What to avoid | Budget feel |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your partner | Flowers plus a gift, a meal or time together | Leaving everything to the evening of the 20th | Personal; your call |
| Your partner’s mother | Flowers or a small gift, given with your partner | Outdoing your partner’s own gift | Modest |
| Female colleagues, if you are a man | Your share of the office collection: flowers, a cake, a group lunch | A personal gift to one colleague | Small and shared |
| Women on your team, if you manage | The same gesture for every woman: flowers, a team lunch, an early finish | Different gifts for different people | Equal for everyone |
| Housekeeper or nanny | Flowers and a small gift, or an early finish on the day | A household item; it reads as more work | Small and practical |
| Your landlady | Flowers or a fruit basket with a greeting | A gift big enough to need returning | A token |
| Your child’s teacher | Flowers or a card made by your child, or a share of a class gift | A large separate gift; save bigger thanks for 20/11 | Small, often joint |
At the office. In many workplaces the men pool money for flowers and a small gift for every woman on the team, or the company arranges a lunch. If asked to contribute, give what the others give and let the organizer buy; the shared gesture is the point. If you manage a team, make it the same for everyone.
At home and at school. A housekeeper, nanny or landlady will notice that you remembered, and will not expect much; flowers or a small gift with a greeting is right. Many children take flowers or a homemade card to their female teachers, and if the class parents are collecting for a joint gift, join it rather than giving separately.
What to leave out. At work, skip anything worn on the body (clothing, jewelry, perfume) and anything personal enough to single one woman out. Anywhere, skip gifts that comment on age, weight or looks: slimming products, or a body-shaping treatment she did not ask for, send a message you did not intend.
One Line to Write on the Card
Vietnamese picks its word for “you” by age and relationship: Wikipedia’s article on Vietnamese pronouns explains that these words usually carry a sense of kinship and can signal a difference in age. So the personal version of the greeting changes with the reader.
- Chúc mừng ngày Phụ nữ Việt Nam 20/10. Literally “congratulations on Vietnamese Women’s Day, 20/10,” used the way English says “Happy … Day.” It needs no pronoun, so it works for anyone, including a group message to the office.
- Chúc chị 20/10 vui vẻ. “Wishing you a happy 20/10,” to a woman a little older than you: a colleague, your landlady, your housekeeper.
- Chúc cô 20/10 vui vẻ. The same wish to a female teacher, or to a woman a little younger than your parents.
- Chúc em 20/10 vui vẻ. The same wish to someone younger than you, or to your partner.
If you are unsure which word fits, write the first line. It is never wrong.
The Flower and Restaurant Crush, and How to Avoid It
Because the 20th is a working day, the celebrating squeezes into the morning, when flowers arrive at offices, and the evening, when couples and families go out to eat. Expect flower stalls and delivery riders to be at their busiest on the 19th and the morning of the 20th, and popular restaurants to fill early. Ask a florist for hoa 20/10 (20/10 flowers) and they will know what you mean. A plan for the week:
- By Thursday 15 October, ask about the office. Find out whether colleagues are pooling before you buy anything yourself.
- Book a table, tickets or a treatment for the weekend of 17–18 October. Weekend slots go first.
- Order flowers on Monday 19 October for delivery on the morning of the 20th, rather than waiting in line at a stall.
- Write the card the night before, in Vietnamese if you can.
- On the 20th, give flowers and greetings at work in the morning and keep anything personal for the evening.
An Experience Gift Is One Option Among Several
Flowers and a small object are enough. For a partner who has everything, an experience can mean more: a dinner you plan, a class together, a day trip, or a few hours at a spa. If you choose a spa, these are the options at Chạm Spa, at menu prices:
- She would rather stay clothed. Head spa and foot treatments are done fully clothed. Our four herbal head spa treatments run from the 30-minute Basic Herbal Head Spa at 120,000 ₫ to the 75-minute Cham Signature Head Spa at 450,000 ₫, which adds a facial.
- She wants to switch off. A relaxation massage with warm oil stays light to medium, never deep: 290,000 ₫ for 60 minutes or 430,000 ₫ for 90.
- You want to go together. The 150-minute retreat for two, side by side in one room costs 1,400,000 ₫ per couple, with two therapists working at once, and it does not require the two guests to be a couple. Two separate treatments at the same hour also work, as our guide to booking a spa visit for two explains.
- She should choose the treatment and the date. Send a gift card for a treatment of her choice: digital, from 300,000 ₫ to 5,000,000 ₫, valid for 12 months on any treatment, ordered on WhatsApp or Zalo and paid by bank transfer. It goes to you or straight to her; the 1,500,000 ₫ card covers the retreat for two, and any balance stays on the card. The optional golden gift wrap, 50,000 ₫ extra, arrives as an email that unwraps on screen.
New to spas in Vietnam? Our guide to what to expect at a Vietnamese spa, from tipping to what you wear answers the usual questions.
20 October 2026 Is a Working Tuesday: When to Book
Chạm Spa is open every day, 09:00–21:00, including Tuesday 20 October. Book an evening slot on the 20th itself, or the weekend before, Saturday 17 or Sunday 18 October. Weekends usually fill first, and the retreat for two needs two therapists and a room at the same time, so book it early.
After work, closing time is not the last start: a 90-minute session has to begin by 19:30 and a 60-minute one by 20:00, as our page on spa opening hours and last start times sets out. Or skip the calendar: send the card on the morning of the 20th, and she books whenever suits her.
Small, Sincere and on Time: The Short Version
Remember all three circles and keep each gesture in proportion: shared and impersonal at work, flowers and a greeting at home, and for a partner, a plan made ahead and chosen by what she would enjoy, not by price. One line in Vietnamese often means more than the gift. The next date that asks more of everyone is Tết, the Lunar New Year, on 6 February 2027; our guide to what closes and what stays open during Tết covers it.
We are at 82/20A Mạc Đĩnh Chi in Tân Định Ward, District 1. Open every day, 09:00–21:00. Book online through Fresha, or on Zalo or WhatsApp at 0986 837 471.
Frequently Asked Questions About Vietnamese Women’s Day
Is Vietnamese Women’s Day a Public Holiday?
No. 20 October is widely observed but is not a day off, so offices, schools and shops stay open, and anything personal tends to wait for the evening or the weekend before.
When Did Vietnamese Women’s Day Start?
The Vietnam Women’s Union chose 20 October 1930 as its founding date in 1976, and in 2010 the Secretariat of the Party Central Committee agreed to make 20 October a women’s day every year.
Do Expats Have to Give Gifts on 20/10?
It is not compulsory, but taking part is noticed. Join the office collection if there is one, give a housekeeper, nanny or landlady flowers or a small gift, and for a partner, treat it like a birthday.
How Much Should I Put Into the Office 20/10 Collection?
Give what your colleagues give. Ask the organizer what others are putting in; everyone giving roughly the same keeps it a shared gesture, not a contest.
What Is a Safe 20/10 Gift for a Female Colleague?
Your share of the team gift, plus a greeting. If you give anything individually, keep it small and the same for every woman on the team: flowers, snacks to share, a card. Avoid clothing, jewelry, perfume and anything that comments on looks.
Which Vietnamese Greeting Works for Any Woman on 20/10?
“Chúc mừng ngày Phụ nữ Việt Nam 20/10” works for anyone, because it uses no word for “you.” For a warmer line, add the right kinship word: “Chúc chị 20/10 vui vẻ” for a woman a little older than you, “cô” in place of “chị” for a teacher, and “em” for someone younger or your partner.
Is Chạm Spa Open on 20 October 2026?
Yes. 20 October 2026 is a Tuesday, and Chạm Spa is open every day from 09:00 to 21:00. It is a working day, so book an evening slot ahead. A gift card sent that morning lets her choose her own date.
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