Vietnam celebrates women twice a year: on 20 October, Vietnamese Women's Day, and on 8 March, International Women's Day. Neither is a day off, but both are widely observed, and at preschool children usually make a card or bring a flower for their mothers, grandmothers and female teachers. In a sector where most teachers and caregivers are women, these two days are among the warmest of the school year.
This guide explains where the two dates come from, what usually happens at school, how fathers and other family members can help a young child take part, and how to make sure the day feels kind for every family, including those where a mother is absent. It also covers the custom outside school, since many international parents first meet it at work, when colleagues arrive with flowers and the office holds a small celebration.
Why there are two dates
International Women's Day on 8 March has roots in the labour and women's movements of the early twentieth century and has been observed by the United Nations since 1975. Vietnam marks it in the same way as many countries, with flowers, cards and small gifts for women at home and at work.
Vietnamese Women's Day on 20 October is specific to Vietnam. It marks the founding of the Vietnam Women's Union in 1930 and, over the decades, has become a day to honour women in general: mothers, wives, daughters, colleagues and teachers. For many Vietnamese families, 20 October feels closer to home than 8 March, and in schools it is often the more prominent of the two, partly because it falls early in the school year, when children are settled enough to take part.
In practice, both days look very similar. Florists have one of their busiest days, roses and gerberas appear in every office, restaurants are full in the evening, and men are expected to do something thoughtful for the women in their lives. Children are brought into this custom early, and preschools treat both days as a chance to practise kindness and gratitude. Some families also mark Mother's Day in May, though it is far less widespread in Vietnam than the two Women's Days.
For a young child, the history matters far less than the habit. What children take from these days is a simple, repeated idea: that the women who look after them deserve thanks, and that saying so with a small gift or a kind word is something everyone in the family does together.
What usually happens at preschool
Every school plans its own activities, but these are the most common:
- Cards and crafts. Children make a card, a paper flower or a small decorated object for their mother or another important woman in their life.
- Flowers for teachers. Many children bring a single flower for their female teachers and caregivers, often prompted by the class or by the parent chat.
- A song or short performance. Older classes may learn a song about mothers or about women in the family and perform it in class.
- A small gesture for female staff. Some schools organise something for the women in the team, sometimes with help from fathers in the class.
- Photos in the parent app. Teachers often share pictures of children with their crafts, and parents enjoy seeing them during the working day.
- Messages from home. Some classes invite families to send a short message or a photo, which the teacher shares with the children.
Because neither day is a public holiday, the school day runs as usual. If 20 October or 8 March falls on a weekend, the celebration usually takes place on the nearest school day. As with other occasions, watch for a notice in the parent app a week or so before.
Expect the photographs. Many preschools take pictures of each child holding their card or flower, and these often reach mothers during the working day. For working mothers, receiving that photograph in the middle of a busy day is one of the small pleasures of the custom, and many keep them from year to year as a record of how their child has grown.
20 October, 8 March and Mother's Day compared
International families sometimes confuse these occasions. This comparison shows how they usually differ in Vietnam.
| 20 October | 8 March | Mother's Day (May) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Origin | Founding of the Vietnam Women's Union, 1930 | International Women's Day | Imported custom, second Sunday of May |
| Who is celebrated | All women: family, colleagues, teachers | All women | Mothers |
| How widely marked | Very widely | Very widely | Less widely, mainly in some families and shops |
| At preschool | Cards, flowers, songs; often the bigger school event | Cards and flowers; sometimes smaller | Rarely a school event |
| At work | Flowers, small gifts, team lunches | Flowers, small gifts, team lunches | Not a workplace occasion |
| Day off? | No | No | Falls on a Sunday |
If you come from a country where International Women's Day is mainly a day of political campaigning, the warm, gift-giving tone of 8 March in Vietnam may feel different. Both readings exist in the world; in Vietnamese families and schools, the emphasis is on appreciation and care.
For preschool families, the practical rule is simple: expect the school to mark both Women's Days, and treat Mother's Day as optional, something to celebrate at home if your family already does so. Grandmothers are very much included on both school days, and many children make two cards, one for their mother and one for a grandmother living nearby.
For fathers: helping a young child take part
Plan a few days ahead. Toddlers and preschoolers cannot organise a gift on their own. A short plan made with a father, grandparent or helper, such as buying a flower on the way to school or making a card at the weekend, gives the child a real part in the day.
Let the child choose. Asking "which colour flower would Mummy like?" or "what shall we draw for her?" turns the gift into something the child gives, rather than something the adult hands over.
Make it hands-on. Wrapping a flower in paper, sticking leaves onto a card or drawing the family together are all well within a young child's reach. The result does not need to be neat.
Include the women at school. A flower or a card for the class teacher and caregivers is a lovely gesture from fathers who rarely do pick-up. It shows appreciation for the people who care for your child all day.
Do something together on the day. A breakfast prepared with the children, a short outing or simply a moment where the child hands over their gift creates a memory that counts more than anything bought.
Keep it the same each year. A small family ritual, such as the same breakfast or the same walk to buy a flower, gives young children something to look forward to and makes the day theirs, whatever the school plans.
Making a simple card or flower gift with a toddler
You do not need craft skills or special materials. This simple routine works for children from about eighteen months upward:
- Choose a quiet time when your child is rested, such as a weekend morning, and keep the session short, ten to fifteen minutes.
- Prepare a folded piece of card and a few child-safe materials: crayons, washable paint, stickers or leaves and petals from a walk.
- Let your child decorate freely. Older preschoolers can draw the person they are thanking; younger ones can make marks, prints or sticker patterns.
- Add a short message yourself in the language your family uses, and write your child's words if they want to say something.
- If you are giving a flower, let your child help wrap the stem in paper or tie a ribbon around it. A single flower is enough.
- Practise the moment of giving: handing it over with both hands and saying "for you" or a word in Vietnamese, such as "tang me", for Mum.
Keep the card even if your child loses interest halfway. A few lines and a sticker, given with pride, mean far more to the receiver than a perfect object made by an adult. If your child makes something at school as well, the two can be given together, and the home-made one often becomes the favourite because the child remembers making it with you.
When a child's family looks different
Days that celebrate mothers and women can be difficult for some children. A child may live with a single father, with two fathers, with grandparents, or with a mother who is away or has died. In a preschool class with many family shapes, teachers try to frame the day broadly: a card for "someone special who looks after you" rather than only for Mum.
If your child's situation makes the day sensitive, tell the teacher in advance. A short, private message is enough: who your child would like to make a card for, and anything the teacher should avoid saying. Most Vietnamese and international teachers handle this with great care once they know, and it saves your child an awkward moment in front of classmates.
At home, you can help your child choose the person they want to celebrate, whether that is a grandmother, an aunt, a nanny, a family friend or a female teacher. The essence of the day in Vietnam is appreciation for the women who care for us, and every child has at least one person who fits that description.
Teachers also think about children whose mothers live abroad or travel often for work. A card can be photographed and sent, or kept for a video call, and a child who makes a gift for an absent mother usually takes real pleasure in showing it to her on screen. Letting the teacher know about these situations helps them make sure your child feels included rather than reminded of a gap.
The custom at work and in the wider community
Many international parents meet Women's Day first at work rather than at school. On 20 October and 8 March, Vietnamese offices often hold a small celebration for female staff: flowers, a gift, a lunch or a short speech, usually organised by male colleagues. If you manage a team in Vietnam, it is worth knowing in advance, as the absence of any gesture can be noticed. A modest shared gesture, such as flowers for each woman in the team or a lunch together, is the usual form; expensive individual gifts are not expected and can create awkwardness.
In residential buildings and neighbourhoods, you may see similar gestures for female staff: the building cleaner, the receptionist or the women who run the local market stall. A flower or a small treat from a family with a child is always appreciated and is a natural way to teach your child that kindness extends beyond the people at home and at school.
For children growing up in Vietnam, these two days quietly shape how they see gratitude and care. A preschooler who has carried a flower to their teacher every October may well remember the custom wherever the family moves next, and many international families keep the habit long after they leave.
Câu hỏi thường gặp
Is Vietnamese Women's Day a public holiday?
No. Both 20 October and 8 March are working days and school days in Vietnam. They are widely observed with flowers, cards and small celebrations at home, at school and at work, but offices and preschools stay open as usual.
Which is more important in Vietnam, 20 October or 8 March?
Both are widely celebrated in similar ways. Many Vietnamese families and schools treat 20 October as slightly more personal because it is a Vietnamese occasion, while 8 March is the international day. At preschool, either may be the bigger event depending on the school.
Should my child bring a flower for the teacher on Women's Day?
It is a common and kind gesture, especially for female teachers and caregivers, but it is not required. A single flower or a handmade card is plenty. Check the parent app for any class plan, since some classes coordinate a gift.
What if my child does not have a mother at home?
Tell the teacher privately before the day, and suggest who your child would like to celebrate, such as a grandmother or another caring woman. Teachers usually frame the activity broadly so that every child can take part comfortably.
Do men receive anything on these days?
No, the two Women's Days are focused on women. Vietnam has no widely celebrated equivalent day for men, although Father's Day in June is known in some families. Fathers usually play the organising role on Women's Day.
Is it appropriate to give flowers to female colleagues at work?
Yes. On 20 October and 8 March, flowers and small gifts for female colleagues are normal in Vietnamese workplaces and are often organised by the team. Keep gestures modest and shared, and follow your company's usual practice.