Spring Festival 2024: "Spring Blood Donation - Multiplying Happiness"

This is the largest blood donation event after the Lunar New Year, jointly organized by the National Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion and the Hanoi Youth Blood Donation Association to address the shortage of blood supply right after the Lunar New Year. This is a festival that demonstrates responsibility to the community through the act of donating blood to save lives, demonstrating the cultural beauty of the early spring.

Unlike previous years, this year's program started very early (the 9th day of Tet) and took place continuously for 8 days at 3 locations: the National Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion (from February 18 to 25), Trau Quy Secondary School - Gia Lam (from February 22 to 23) and AEON Mall Ha Dong (February 24). Before the official opening, more than 2,500 units of blood had been donated. It is expected that the entire Spring Festival will receive at least 8,000 units of blood.

With the message "Spring Blood Donation - Multiplying Happiness", the program hopes that every healthy person is willing to donate a precious unit of blood on the occasion of the New Year, contributing a lucky money gift, bringing luck and happiness to the patient, the community and the blood donor himself.

Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Ha Thanh, Director of the National Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion emphasized: “Unlike thousands of spring festivals taking place across the country, this is the only festival where participants do not pray for anything for themselves, but come to donate precious drops of blood - a part of life for the sick. That has made the Red Spring Festival special, unique, and distinctive, and created lasting vitality, leaving many impressions and memories with the participants.”

President of the Vietnam Red Cross Society, Deputy Head of the National Steering Committee for Voluntary Blood Donation Bui Thi Hoa acknowledged that major campaigns and events throughout the year are organized on a large scale, systematically, and simultaneously to promote and mobilize people to actively participate in voluntary blood donation, especially during Tet and summer - the time when blood shortages often occur.

Chairman of the Hanoi Youth Blood Donation Association Trinh Xuan Thuy shared that even on the days leading up to Tet, when many people have returned to their hometowns to celebrate Tet, thousands of volunteers of the association still volunteered to promote and mobilize blood donations at public places. The association also created a strong communication campaign on social networks with the participation of 3,000 volunteers. Through such meaningful and humane activities, young people have the opportunity to experience and have more positive thoughts about life, and become more involved in activities for social security.

Over the past 16 years of organization (from 2008 to 2023), the Xuan Hong Festival has attracted hundreds of thousands of people to attend and donate blood, with over 110,000 units of blood received in Hanoi alone. Up to now, all provinces and cities have organized and chosen the Xuan Hong Festival as the blood donation program to kick off the new year. The Xuan Hong Festival has contributed to changing the concept of people from all walks of life about voluntary blood donation, forming the beauty and habit of donating blood every spring. The spirit of solidarity, compassion, and sharing of love through voluntary blood donation activities will also bring good emotions, luck and happiness to everyone attending the Xuan Hong Festival.