Reunification Day
Encyclopedia
Victory Day Reunification Day (Ngày Thống nhất), or Liberation
Day (Ngày Giải phóng) is a public
holiday
in Vietnam
that marks the occasion Viet Cong and North Vietnam
ese troops captured Saigon
(now Ho Chi Minh City) on April 30, 1975. This signalled the end of the Vietnam War
, known in Vietnamese
as Chiến tranh Việt Nam (Vietnam War) or Kháng chiến chống Mỹ ("Resistance War Against America"). It was the start of the transition period toward reunification, which occurred July 2, 1976 when the Democratic Republic of Vietnam
and the Provisional Revolutionary Government of the Republic of South Vietnam merged to form the modern-day Socialist Republic of Vietnam
.
In the Overseas Vietnamese exile community
, the day is remembered as the "Fall of Saigon
" or "Ngày Quốc hận". This is loosely translated as "National Defeat Day," or more literally as "National Day of Resentment." These terms are considered treason
ous in present day Vietnam
and can lead to harassment or imprisonment. This is a commemorative day for exiled Vietnamese
who served, were affected, and displaced in those overseas communities, and as such is a day of reflection.
The anniversary
is marked by several festivals around the date.
Liberty
Liberty is a moral and political principle, or Right, that identifies the condition in which human beings are able to govern themselves, to behave according to their own free will, and take responsibility for their actions...
Day (Ngày Giải phóng) is a public
Public
In public relations and communication science, publics are groups of individuals, and the public is the totality of such groupings. This is a different concept to the sociological concept of the Öffentlichkeit or public sphere. The concept of a public has also been defined in political science,...
holiday
Holiday
A Holiday is a day designated as having special significance for which individuals, a government, or a religious group have deemed that observance is warranted. It is generally an official or unofficial observance of religious, national, or cultural significance, often accompanied by celebrations...
in Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
that marks the occasion Viet Cong and North Vietnam
North Vietnam
The Democratic Republic of Vietnam , was a communist state that ruled the northern half of Vietnam from 1954 until 1976 following the Geneva Conference and laid claim to all of Vietnam from 1945 to 1954 during the First Indochina War, during which they controlled pockets of territory throughout...
ese troops captured Saigon
Ho Chi Minh City
Ho Chi Minh City , formerly named Saigon is the largest city in Vietnam...
(now Ho Chi Minh City) on April 30, 1975. This signalled the end of the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
, known in Vietnamese
Vietnamese language
Vietnamese is the national and official language of Vietnam. It is the mother tongue of 86% of Vietnam's population, and of about three million overseas Vietnamese. It is also spoken as a second language by many ethnic minorities of Vietnam...
as Chiến tranh Việt Nam (Vietnam War) or Kháng chiến chống Mỹ ("Resistance War Against America"). It was the start of the transition period toward reunification, which occurred July 2, 1976 when the Democratic Republic of Vietnam
North Vietnam
The Democratic Republic of Vietnam , was a communist state that ruled the northern half of Vietnam from 1954 until 1976 following the Geneva Conference and laid claim to all of Vietnam from 1945 to 1954 during the First Indochina War, during which they controlled pockets of territory throughout...
and the Provisional Revolutionary Government of the Republic of South Vietnam merged to form the modern-day Socialist Republic of Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
.
In the Overseas Vietnamese exile community
Community
The term community has two distinct meanings:*a group of interacting people, possibly living in close proximity, and often refers to a group that shares some common values, and is attributed with social cohesion within a shared geographical location, generally in social units larger than a household...
, the day is remembered as the "Fall of Saigon
Fall of Saigon
The Fall of Saigon was the capture of Saigon, the capital of South Vietnam, by the People's Army of Vietnam and the National Liberation Front on April 30, 1975...
" or "Ngày Quốc hận". This is loosely translated as "National Defeat Day," or more literally as "National Day of Resentment." These terms are considered treason
Treason
In law, treason is the crime that covers some of the more extreme acts against one's sovereign or nation. Historically, treason also covered the murder of specific social superiors, such as the murder of a husband by his wife. Treason against the king was known as high treason and treason against a...
ous in present day Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
and can lead to harassment or imprisonment. This is a commemorative day for exiled Vietnamese
Vietnamese people
The Vietnamese people are an ethnic group originating from present-day northern Vietnam and southern China. They are the majority ethnic group of Vietnam, comprising 86% of the population as of the 1999 census, and are officially known as Kinh to distinguish them from other ethnic groups in Vietnam...
who served, were affected, and displaced in those overseas communities, and as such is a day of reflection.
The anniversary
Anniversary
An anniversary is a day that commemorates or celebrates a past event that occurred on the same day of the year as the initial event. For example, the first event is the initial occurrence or, if planned, the inaugural of the event. One year later would be the first anniversary of that event...
is marked by several festivals around the date.
See also
- Fall of SaigonFall of SaigonThe Fall of Saigon was the capture of Saigon, the capital of South Vietnam, by the People's Army of Vietnam and the National Liberation Front on April 30, 1975...
- Holidays in Vietnam
- Liberation DayLiberation DayLiberation Day is a day, often a public holiday, that marks the liberation of a place, similar to an independence day. Liberation marks the date of either a revolution, as in Cuba, or the end of an occupation by another state, thereby differing from independence in the meaning of secession from...
in other countries - Victory DayVictory DayVictory Day is a common name of many different public holidays in various countries to commemorate victories in important battles or wars in the countries' history.- April 30 in Vietnam :...
in other countries