Taiwan Holidays 2012
The celebrations and holidays for Taiwanese people are special. Unlike other countries, where a holiday is just a reason to stay home and watch TV, the holidays have an important role in the life of Taiwan, being reasons to rejoice, to commemorate the ancestors, or to make plans for the future. Let’s see the most important holidays in Taiwan, with their specific characteristics.
The main holidays can be divided into two distinctive categories:
- the holidays that are connected with the lunar calendar, which are generally religious and traditional holidays
- the holidays celebrated according to the Western calendar, which are the national holidays and the holidays imported from Europeans, such as Christmas
The Lunar Festival
The lunar festivals are a part of the Chinese traditions, but as people in Taiwan are proud of their origins, and especially of their independence, along the years, those celebrations were adapted to the demands and requests of the local community. The most important lunar Taiwan holidays are:
- the Chinese new year
- the Lantern Festival
- the Dragon Boat Festival
- the Ghost festival
Of course, there are also other secondary celebrations, but those are the main events that attract millions of tourists from all over the world. People come here to discover the charm of Taiwan, and if they have the luck to come here while one of those festivals happens, they will surely have something to remember.
The Official Celebrations
The list of Taiwan’s holiday is not as long as the list of lunar events, but those are still important days in the history of this country:
- the Founding day of PR China
- the Memorial Day
- Women’s, Youth, and Children’s Days
- Armed Forces and Teacher’s Day
The methods of Taiwanese used to celebrate those events are great, and people all over the world like to come here to attend to those unique events.
The Chinese New Year is celebrated not only in China and Taiwan, but also in the whole south Eastern Asia, as the Chinese community is consistent in the majority of surrounding countries. In order to be prepared for this event, the Taiwanese people have to clean their houses, to prepare the best clothes, and to clear their debts. Of course, as Taiwanese people are people with initiative, they must also prepare for the upcoming tourists.
The Lantern Festival is held on the 19th of February, and it is the day when ancient Chinese believed that the spirits of the dead can be seen flying over the moon. This is why they had to light torches, to help the spirits in their journey. For the whole night, children carry lanterns and torches on the streets of the city, symbolizing hope for a bright future.
The Dragon Boat Festival is an event celebrated not only in Taiwan, but also in other parts where Chinese communities must be found. Those are only the main Taiwan Holidays 2012, but you can surely attend other interesting venues, no matter when you decide to come in this country.
