What date in 2024 is Mother's Day? What obligations do children have towards their parents under the law in Vietnam?

Regarding this matter, LawNet would like to answer as follows:

1. What date in 2024 is Mother's Day?

Mother's Day is a commemorative holiday to show gratitude to mothers worldwide, honoring their immense and sacred values, as well as the boundless love they bring to our lives. It is a day for children to express deep and infinite love and profound gratitude to their mothers. Mother's Day typically falls on the second Sunday of May each year. In 2024, Mother's Day will be celebrated on May 12th.

In Vietnam, in addition to other holidays such as March 8th (International Women's Day), October 20th (Vietnamese Women's Day), and Vu Lan (a Buddhist holiday for filial piety), Mother's Day is the occasion for each child to show appreciation and filial devotion to their mothers.

2. What obligations do children have towards their parents under the law in Vietnam?

Obligations of children towards their parents are stipulated in Article 70 of the Law on Marriage and Family 2014 and Article 71 of the Law on Marriage and Family 2014, specifically as follows:

Article 70. Rights and obligations of children

1. To be loved and respected by their parents and perform and enjoy their lawful personal and property rights and interests in accordance with law; to study and be educated; to be entitled to healthy physical, intellectual and moral development.

2. To love, respect, show gratitude and dutifulness to and support their parents, to preserve the honor and good traditions of their family.

3. For minor children or adult children who have lost their civil act capacity or have no working capacity and no property to support themselves, to live with their parents, to be looked after, nursed and cared for by their parents.

For minor children, to do housework suitable to their age and not in contravention of the law on protection, care for and education of children.

4. For adult children, to select at their free will professions and places of residence, to study and raise their educational level and professional qualifications and skills; to participate in political, economic, cultural and social activities according to their aspirations and abilities. When living with their parents, to do housework and participate in working, production and income-generating activities to ensure the common life of the family; to contribute their incomes to meeting the family’s needs suitable to their capacity.

5. To enjoy property rights corresponding to their contributions to the family’s property

Article 71. Obligation and right to care for and raise

1. Father and mother have equal obligation and right to jointly care for and raise their minor children or adult children who have lost their civil act capacity or have-no working capacity and no property to support themselves.

2. Children have the obligation and right to care for and support their parents, especially when their parents lose their civil act capacity, are sick, become old and weak or have disabilities. For a family with several children, these children shall together care for and support their parents.

Thus, the obligations of children towards their parents are stipulated as follows:

(1) To love, respect, show gratitude and dutifulness to and support their parents, to preserve the honor and good traditions of their family.

(2) When living with their parents, to do housework and participate in working, production and income-generating activities to ensure the common life of the family; to contribute their incomes to meeting the family’s needs suitable to their capacity.

(3) To care for and support their parents, especially when their parents lose their civil act capacity, are sick, become old and weak or have disabilities. For a family with several children, these children shall together care for and support their parents.

3. What are penalties for acts of neglecting to provide care and support for parents in Vietnam?

Many people still believe that only physical abuse constitutes mistreatment of parents. In reality, even neglecting to provide care and support for parents, causing them emotional harm, leading to their mental distress, weakening their health, or subjecting them to adverse consequences, is considered a violation of the law and can be subject to severe legal consequences.

According to Article 57 of Decree 144/2021/ND-CP regulating violations against regulations on care, nurture, or support, acts of denying or evading the support and nurturing obligations for parents  will be fined from 5,000,000 VND to 10,000,000 VND, along with the remedial measure of mandatory fulfillment of contribution/nurturing obligations for the acts of denying or evading the support and nurturing obligations for parents. 

In addition, according to Article 185 of the Criminal Code 2015, any person who maltreats or commits violent acts against his/her parent, and  has incurred an administrative penalty for the same offense shall receive a warning, face a penalty of up to 03 years' community sentence or 06 - 36 months' imprisonment. Any person who maltreats or commits violent acts against his/her parent who is elderly, has severe or extremely severe disabilities, or has a fatal disease shall carry a penalty of 2–5 years' imprisonment.

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