Pig slaughtering in Vietnam is a traditional folk custom that has been passed down in northern Vietnam.

Pig slaughtering in Vietnam generally refers to a ceremonial traditional custom of slaughtering live pigs that has been passed down in the rural areas of northern Vietnam, and it is often called the Pig Slaughtering Festival. Among these, the activities in some villages of Bac Ninh Province in the north are the most representative. They are usually held in the first lunar month of each year and are regarded as an important local festival at the beginning of spring.

This custom is related to the local worship of ancient generals. According to legend, in ancient times a general once led soldiers to protect the local people, and the villagers revered him as a guardian deity. Every first lunar month they held ceremonies to pay homage. During the activities, villagers beat gongs and drums, raised flags in procession, slaughtered selected pigs in public, and then cut the pork into small pieces to distribute to the people present, symbolizing the sharing of good fortune and praying for favorable weather and a bumper harvest in the new year.

Because the slaughtering scenes are rather bloody, this custom has long been criticized by animal protection organizations and many members of the public, who consider it too cruel and inconsistent with modern concepts of animal welfare. Vietnamese public opinion and relevant authorities have also repeatedly called for restrictions on or improvements to such activities, and the debate over traditional folk customs versus animal protection has continued for many years.

In recent years, the related activities have been held intermittently and their scale has shrunk somewhat, and the question of whether they should continue remains disputed to this day. For people concerned with animal husbandry and folk customs, pig slaughtering in Vietnam is more like an observational sample: it reflects the ancient tradition of farming societies using livestock sacrifices to pray for blessings, and it also reminds people that when passing on folk customs, humane concern and the direction of civilized progress need to be taken into account.