Where does Christmas originate? May students in Vietnam apply for leave to attend Christmas celebrations?

Where does Christmas originate??

Christmas originates from Christianity and is believed to have originated from Judea (now part of Palestine), under the Roman Empire.

According to the Bible, Jesus was born in Bethlehem, a small commune-level town in Judea. Therefore, Christmas is celebrated to commemorate this significant event. However, determining the exact birth date of Jesus is quite difficult, and December 25 is just a traditionally chosen date.

*Some Notable Points:

Pre-Christmas Traditions: Before the advent of Christianity, many cultures around the world had similar winter festivals, related to the return of light and the renewal of nature.

Cultural Integration: Over the centuries, Christmas has been integrated with many diverse local traditions and customs, resulting in a rich diversity of celebrations worldwide.

Today, Christmas is not only a religious holiday but also an occasion for family and friends to gather, exchange gifts, and enjoy a warm, joyful atmosphere.

*Note: The above information is for reference purposes only./.

Where does Christmas originate? May students in Vietnam apply for leave to attend Christmas celebrations? (Image from Internet)

Are students in Vietnam entitled to a day off on Christmas 2024?

Under the regulation in Article 112 Labor Code 2019:

Article 112. Public holidays

1. Employees shall be entitled to fully paid days off on the following public holidays:

a) Gregorian Calendar New Year Holiday: 01 day (the 1st of January of the Gregorian calendar);

b) Lunar New Year Holidays: 05 days;

c) Victory Day: 01 day (the 30th of April of the Gregorian calendar);

d) International Labor Day: 01 day (the 1st of May of the Gregorian calendar);

dd) National Day: 02 days (the 2nd of September of the Gregorian calendar and the previous or next day);

e) Hung Kings Commemoration Day: 01 day (the 10th of the third month of the Lunar calendar).

2. Foreign employees in Vietnam are entitled to 01 traditional public holiday and 01 National Day of their country, in addition to the public holidays stipulated in Clause 1 of this Article.

3. The Prime Minister shall decide the specific public holidays mentioned in Point b and Point dd Clause 1 of this Article on an annual basis.

Additionally, Article 111 Labor Code 2019 specifies:

Weekly breaks

1. Each week an employee is entitled to a break of at least 24 consecutive hours. Where it is impossible for the employee to have a weekly day off due to the work cycle, the employer has the responsibility to ensure that on average the employee has at least 04 days off per month.

2. The employer has the right to determine and schedule the weekly breaks either on Sunday or for another fixed day in a week, which must be recorded in the internal labor regulations.

3. In case a public holiday falls on an employee’s weekly break as prescribed in Clause 1 Article 112 of this Labor Code, he/she will have compensatory time-off on the next working days.

Under the above regulations, teachers, who work similarly to employees, will have their leave according to the Labor Code regulations.

Christmas 2024 is not a public holiday as per regulation. Therefore, teachers will not have a day off to attend Christmas Celebrations. Consequently, students also will not have a day off on Christmas.

May students in Vietnam apply for leave to attend Christmas celebrations?

Currently, there is no regulation regarding whether students can apply for leave to attend Christmas celebrations.

However, under Article 12 of the "Regulations on Assessment and Grading of Lower and Upper Secondary School Students" issued with Circular 22/2021/TT-BGDT:

Grade advancement, re-assessment during summer break, and grade retention

1. A student who meets following eligibility may advance to the next grade or be recognized as to have completed lower education program or upper education program:

a) Training results of the entire school year (including re-assessment results after training during summer break according to Article 13 hereof) are Qualified or higher.

b) Learning results of the entire school year (including re-assessment results of all subjects according to Article 14 hereof) is Qualified or higher.

c) Number of days leave does not exceed 45 half-days (calculated according to education plans which is 1 half-day for every day under formal education plan, including permitted leave, unpermitted leave, continuous leave, and intermittent leave).

2. In case a student must undergo training during summer break, comply with Article 13 hereof; students must attend re-examination or re-assessment of subjects during summer break as per Article 14 hereof.

3. A student who does not meet all eligibility under Clause 1 of this Article are not allowed to advance to the next grade or recognized as to have completed lower secondary education level or upper secondary education level.

4. For students with disabilities: Principals shall rely on assessment results of students with disabilities as per Article 11 hereof to consider grade advancement or recognition of completion of lower secondary education level or upper secondary education level.

Thus, students may be absent for at most 45 half-days in a school year with permission. A student absent for more than 45 half-days in a school year will not be eligible for grade advancement.

In principle, students can apply for leave to attend Christmas celebrations or participate in other leisure activities. However, using this reason to request permission may not easily be accepted by teachers.

Furthermore, since churches often have many services at different times to accommodate attendees, students should schedule accordingly to avoid unnecessary absences from school.