Vietnam is a country that is very connected to its core cultural values, based mainly on ‘Confucianism’ — which means that Vietnamese people are big fans of respect, education, harmony, and loyalty to family. In western countries, there’s a tendency toward individualism, while in eastern countries — such as Vietnam — the trend is to see family as a unit in itself. Children are expected to look after their parents, besides treating them with uttermost respect. There’s also an expectation for all members of the family to provide for the household.

It’s a tradition in Vietnamese culture for many generations of the same family to live under the same roof. Families can derogate a member who’s not providing proper conditions for other household members and also announce their achievements to their community. It’s also a tradition for the older male to be the head of the household and children are educated from a young age on ‘filial piety’ — which means that younger members of the family should treat older members with respect and care.

To keep these cultural aspects alive in the mind of the people of Vietnam, in 2001, Deputy Prime Minister Pham Gia Khiem promulgated the Vietnamese Family Day, which is to be celebrated every year on June 28. On this day families from all around the country gather to celebrate, whether it be at home or at festivals downtown.