Amid the joyful atmosphere ahead of the upcoming the Buddha’s Birthday celebration 2017 (Vesak), Buddhist monasteries in Ho Chi Minh city decorated their celebrating stages as well as raised Buddha posters, religious flags and flowers along many streets.

Iraqi Yazidis light candles and paraffin torches outside the 4,000-year-old Lalish temple in northern Iraq on April 18, 2017, during a ceremony to celebrate the coming New Year.

In the morning of April 11 (March 15 in Lunar Calendar), thousands of people attended the opening of the Do Temple Festival, and celebrated the 1007^th emperor enthronement anniversary of King Lý Thái Tổ - Lý Công Uẩn.

On April 9, Catholic parishes of My Tho Cathedral, An Duc and Cho Cu in My Tho city and An Thai Trung in Cai Be district held Palm Sunday mass – a Christian moveable feast that falls on the Sunday before Easter. 

On March 1, parishes of My Tho Cathedral and An Duc in My Tho city and An Thai Trung in Cai Be district celebrated Ash Wednesday, marking the beginning of Lent (fasting) Festival.

For Vietnamese people, going to Buddhist pagodas on early days of the traditional New Year festival has become an unique spiritual and cultural feature. On occasion of the Lunar New Year 2017, let’s look at Buddhist temples in Vietnam’s bordering areas.

Buddhist monks hold lanterns during a yearly ceremony at Wat Phra Dhammakaya Temple in the north of Bangkok. Thai people celebrate the Buddhist festival of clockwise circumambulation and Makha pratipa lantern lighting ceremony at Dhammakaya Temple on “Makha Bucha Day” during the third lunar moon, where around 1250 monks gathered to be ordained by the Buddha.

On January 12, Hue Archdiocese held an enthronement for its newly appointed Archbishop of the Archdiocese Guise Nguyễn Chí Linh.

On December 30, Hue Archdiocese held a service for the 47^th anniversary of priesthood and 11^th anniversary of bishopric ordination of the Archdiocese’s Former Archbishop Francis Xavie Lê Văn Hồng.

Hoa Hao Buddhist followers held a grand ceremony for the 97th birth anniversary of the sect’s founder, Prophet Hùynh Phú Sổ in An Hoa Tu, Phu My township, Phu Tan district, An Giang province on December 23.

On occasion of the Christmas festival 2016, Protestant congregations under the Evangelical Church of Vietnam (ECVN) (North) in mountainous provinces of Vietnam Northern have joyfully held programs to celebrate this event.

Christmas 2017 is fast approaching. Many people are eager to decorate their homes, their shops, or stroll with loved ones watching the sparkling and colorful streets with beautiful signs and symbols dedicated only for the Christmas festival.

On November 15-18, the Evangelical Church of Vietnam (ECVN) (North) organized a religious training with the theme “Servant of St. Jehovah” together with the ordainment of the Church’s 54 new pastors.

My Tho Diocese held on November 18 a ceremony for closing the Jubilee Year of Mercy and promoting seven deacons to priests in the diocese’s pastoral center.

The Evangelical Church of Vietnam (ECVN) (South) held on November 8 the preparatory meeting of the 8^th Council of clergy at Da Lat Protestant Church in Lam Dong province.