In short: Vietnamese Teachers’ Day falls on 20 November, a day when students and parents thank teachers with flowers, cards and small gifts. For a teacher who spends every day talking, a lovely class gift is an hour of quiet: an Ōmni Space float gift card in Thảo Điền, Saigon. The class chooses the amount (a 60-minute float is 1,500,000 VND, 90 minutes 2,000,000 VND), and the card can be passed on.
The class chat lights up on a Tuesday evening: “Teachers’ Day is on the 20th. Are we doing something for Ms Lan?” Twenty families, three languages, a few thumbs-up, and nobody quite sure what is normal here. If your child goes to an international school around Thảo Điền or District 2, this guide is for you. In five minutes you will know what 20 November means in Vietnam, what gifts feel right, how to pool one gift as a class, and you will have a message ready to paste straight into the group chat.
What is Vietnamese Teachers’ Day (20 November)?
Ngày Nhà giáo Việt Nam is Vietnam’s national day for teachers. It grew out of an international teachers’ charter: Vietnam first marked 20 November in 1958, and in 1982 the government made it the official “Vietnamese Teachers’ Day”. It is not a public holiday, but it is one of the warmest days of the school year.
Behind it sits an old idea Vietnamese people still say out loud: tôn sư trọng đạo, “respect the teacher, honour the path of learning”. Teachers here are thanked not only for lessons, but for shaping who a child becomes. That is why grown adults still go back to visit a favourite teacher from twenty years ago.
How Vietnamese families thank teachers
In the days before 20 November, flower stalls overflow and motorbikes carry bouquets through the city. Students make cards, write letters, sing and perform at a school ceremony. Parents often add a small gift, and in many classes they pool together for one thoughtful present from everyone. Former students drop by with flowers or send a message to teachers they had long ago.
International schools blend all of this with their own traditions, so every class does it a little differently. Some schools have their own rules on gifts for staff, so it is worth a quick check with the class rep or school office before you buy.
An hour of not talking, for someone who talks all month
Think about your child’s teacher for a moment. Six hours a day of being “on”: explaining, encouraging, calming, answering the same question kindly for the fifth time, in a room of twenty small voices. Then marking, emails, parent meetings. Many would happily swap another mug for an hour of silence.
A float is exactly that. She lies back in warm water about 25 cm deep, close to skin temperature, with so much dense, mineral-rich Epsom salt that the body floats on its own, no swimming needed. The room is private, with its own shower, no swimsuit needed, and she controls the light. No one asks her anything for an hour. The voice rests, the shoulders drop, the mind slows down. Read more about what float therapy is.
Ōmni Evidence Scale: Strong evidence. For stress and anxiety, several randomised trials point the same way, and user experience is overwhelmingly positive: in a 2025 survey of regular floaters, 92% reported relaxation and 77% less stress. See how we rate evidence on the Ōmni Evidence Scale.
Teachers’ Day gift ideas, by budget
| Gift | A lovely choice for | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Single float, 60 minutes | A first float; a tutor or coach from one family | 1,500,000 VND |
| Single float, 90 minutes | The homeroom teacher, from the whole class | 2,000,000 VND |
| Couple float, 60 or 90 minutes | A teacher and her partner, side by side in one large pool | 2,200,000 / 2,700,000 VND |
| Intro Pack: 3 floats × 90 minutes (50% off 6,000,000 VND) | A teacher who could use a quiet hour every month this term | 3,000,000 VND |
| Gift card, any amount | Whatever the class collects | You choose |
A gift card lets the class choose any amount. When the teacher comes in, our team helps her pick the session that fits the value on the card. If she would rather pass it to someone she loves, that is fine too: gift cards can be given on. The Intro Pack is for one person: she starts the first float within one year of purchase and uses all three within three months of that first visit. If she brings her partner, each session is just 700,000 VND more for the second person.
How to pool one gift as a class
- One parent collects. Agree a small, equal amount per family, so nobody feels pressure. Twenty families at 100,000 VND each already makes a 90-minute float.
- Buy the card. Choose the amount on our gift card page and pay by bank transfer, or come to the counter at 16C Quốc Hương, where international cards are accepted. Buy a few days early so it is ready for 20 November, or message the team and we will show you how to receive the card.
- Add the children. A drawing, a few words from each child, the class photo. That is the part teachers keep.
- Share what to expect. Send the teacher this page for float gift recipients with the card, so she knows exactly how her visit works.
A message to paste into the class chat
Copy, adjust the names and amounts, and send:
Hi everyone! 20 November is Vietnamese Teachers’ Day. How about one gift from the whole class for Ms Lan: a float gift card, an hour of real quiet after a term of talking all day. If you would like to join, please send 100,000 VND to me by Friday. The kids can each add a drawing or a line for the card. Totally optional, and thank you!
And a few lines for the card itself:
Dear Ms Lan, you spend every day listening to us. This hour is for you to hear nothing at all. Happy Teachers’ Day, from all of Class 3B.
Thank you for your patience, your kindness and your voice, which must be very tired by now. Please rest it for an hour. Happy 20 November!
Not only for the class teacher
Teachers’ Day in Vietnam is for everyone who teaches. A 60-minute float is a generous thank-you for the tutor who got your child through maths, the dance teacher who spends evenings on her feet, or the swimming coach who has stood in the sun all year. And for a former teacher, the one who changed something for you or your child years ago, a card that says “I still remember” means more on 20 November than any other day.
Coach, you have spent a whole year on the side of the pool watching over us. Now it is your turn to float. Happy Teachers’ Day!
Ōmni Space in Thảo Điền
Ōmni Space is at 16C Quốc Hương, Thảo Điền, open 9:00–21:00 every day, with the last float starting at 8 pm, so a teacher can come straight after school or at the weekend. The team behind Ōmni opened Vietnam’s first float centre (Float Vietnam) in 2017, and guests rate us 4.8 ★ from 72 Google reviews. Every float is in a private room with its own shower. Towels, earplugs and everything else are here; she just brings herself.
Never floated yourself? See what a first float in Saigon is like →
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Frequently asked questions
When is Vietnamese Teachers’ Day?
Every year on 20 November. It became official in 1982 and is a day to thank teachers with flowers, cards and small gifts. It is not a public holiday.
What is a good Teachers’ Day gift from an international school class?
One pooled gift from the whole class with cards from the children works well. A float gift card from Ōmni Space in Thảo Điền gives a teacher who talks all day an hour of real quiet.
How much does a float gift card cost?
You choose the amount. A 60-minute float is 1,500,000 VND and 90 minutes is 2,000,000 VND. When she visits, the team helps her pick a session that fits the card.
Can the teacher give the card to someone else?
Yes. Ōmni Space gift cards can be passed on freely, for example to her partner or a friend.
Can I pay for the gift card with a foreign credit card?
Online payment is by bank transfer. International cards are accepted at the counter at 16C Quốc Hương, Thảo Điền, or you can message the team for help.
Written by the team at Ōmni Space in Thảo Điền, for parents celebrating Vietnamese Teachers’ Day for the first time.
Sources
- Ngày Nhà giáo Việt Nam, Wikipedia (Vietnamese): history of 20 November, first marked in 1958, made official by Decision 167-HĐBT in 1982.