Taiwanese holidays are set according to either the Western calendar or the Chinese lunar calendar. Holidays in the lunar calendar fall at...
Taiwanese holidays are set
according to either the Western calendar or the Chinese lunar calendar.
Holidays in the lunar calendar fall at different times each year in the Western
calendar. Bad times to travel are Chinese New Year, winter holidays for
students (three weeks around Chinese New Year), Tomb Sweep Day, Dragon Boat
Festival, summer weekends (July to August) and Moon Festival.
Western Calendar Holidays
JANUARY
Founding Day (Yuándàn) 1
January. Commemorates the founding of the ROC back in 1911. Businesses
and schools close, and many remain closed on 2 January. In recent years huge
sponsored events have been held on December 31 to celebrate the countdown. Many
people are now using 1 January to nurse their hangovers.
FEBRUARY
28 February - This holiday recollects events of 28 February
1947, when political dissent led to the massacre of thousands of Taiwanese.
Instituted in 1997 at the behest of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), but
without universal public support.
APRIL
Tomb Sweep Day (Q_ng Míng
Jié) 5 April or 4 April on leap years. Families return to the graves of
their ancestors to clean them as a gesture of respect. Expect to see lots of
ghost money being burned around the island. Bank holiday.
SEPTEMBER
Teachers’ Day (Jiàosh_ Jié)
28 September. Originally honouring the birthday of Confucius, this
holiday now honours all teachers. Confucian temples around the country stage
elaborate ceremonies all day and while people don’t get the day off, the
ceremonies are worth taking a holiday to see. Get your tickets well in advance.
OCTOBER
National Day (Shu_ngshí
Jié) 10 October. Sometimes called ‘Double 10th Day’ after its date, this
day is marked by military parades, fireworks and beach parties. Bank holiday
DECEMBER
Constitution Day (Gu_ngfù
Jié) 25 December. Although it was a holiday in Taiwan long before
Christmas was a significant presence here, you can guess which holiday has
taken over the national psyche. Although it’s not a national day off anymore, the
night of the 24th can be party time.
Lunar Year Holidays
JANUARY–FEBRUARY
Chinese (Lunar) New Year (Ch_n
Jié) Lunar date: first day of the first month. The year’s most important
festival is marked by special banquets and family gatherings, red envelopes of
money are given as gifts and it’s common for people to wear new clothes.
Visitors might consider staying away since many businesses and sights close for
extended periods.
FEBRUARY
Lantern Festival (Yuánxi_o
Jié) Lunar date: 15th day of the first month. This is fast becoming one
of the most popular holidays in Taiwan. Festivities vary from fireworks
displays to art shows to activities that combine tradition and technology. All
draw large crowds. One highlight in the north is the release of thousands of
sky lanterns into the air around Pingxi (see the boxed text).
JUNE
Dragon Boat Festival (Du_nw_
Jié) Lunar date: fifth day of the fifth month. One of the most
important Chinese holidays and very photogenic and colourful (though many find it
dull and slow). The highlight is the dragon-boat races in which long, sleek
boats, decorated like dragons, compete in remembrance of the suicide drowning
of the poet Chu Yuan. Some of the best places to see them include Lukang (where
Dragon Boat Festival is part of a four-day folk festival), Keelung, Kaohsiung and
Sansia Zòngzi (sticky-rice dumplings wrapped in leaves) are a
culinary treat not to miss. A national holiday.
SEPTEMBER–OCTOBER
Moon Festival (Zh_ngqi_
Jié) Lunar date: 15th day of the eight month. Also known as
Mid-Autumn Festival, this traditional Chinese holiday celebrated the end of the
harvest and was a time of plenty. These days it’s a time for family and friends
to get together, barbecue and eat moon cakes and pomelos. The moon is supposed
to be the year’s brightest and fullest, though it is often obscured by clouds
in the north. The festival usually marks the beginning of cooler weather after
the scorching summer.
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