Celebrate Taiwan: A Guide to the Island’s Most Colorful and Meaningful Festivals
Taiwan is a fascinating island with a rich and diverse culture. Its festivals reflect its history, traditions, and values, as well as its influences from China, Japan, and the West. In this blog post, I will introduce some of the most famous and unique festivals in Taiwan, and explain their origins and meanings.
Spring Festival (Chinese New Year or Lunar New Year)
Spring Festival is the most important festival and the longest national holiday in Taiwan, beginning on December 30th (New Year’s Eve) and ending on the fourth day of the first month of the lunar calendar. On the Western calendar, the dates fall around mid-January to mid-February. There are many traditional customs that must be observed during Spring Festival, and each custom has its own symbolic meaning. One custom that almost every family observes is setting off firecrackers to drive away Nian. According to ancient Chinese folklore, every New Year’s Eve, the beast, Nian, would come out of hiding and wreak havoc in the villages looking for food. The villagers knew that the beast feared the color red and loud noises, so everyone would put red lanterns and spring couplets on their doors and set off firecrackers to deter the beast and scare it away.
On New Year’s Eve, the entire family will clean the house together to welcome in the new year; as the saying goes, “Out with the old, in with the new!” After the cleaning is done, the family will put spring couplets on the door for good luck. At night, the entire family will gather and enjoy New Year’s Eve dinner. The most common dishes that must be eaten are: fish, special vegetables, dumplings, turnip cake, Buddha jumps over the wall, etc. Each dish is very elaborate and has a special meaning, for example, the Chinese pronunciation for the word “fish” sounds exactly like the word for “abundance”, thus, eating fish symbolizes that you will have a year of abundance. Traditionally, families must not finish the fish entirely, as some must be left for next year. Turnip cakes are also a very popular dish because the word “cake” sounds like the word for “high”, symbolizing good luck and a promotion. Lastly, dumplings are shaped like ancient Chinese currency (yuanbao), so eating them signifies attracting wealth and treasure.
On the first day of the Lunar New Year, you must get up early to set off firecrackers, then pay your respects to your friends and relatives by visiting them at home. You are not allowed to sweep the floor or take out the trash because you risk sweeping away your good fortune. If you accidently break something, you must say suì suì píng ān, which means, may you have peace all year round. The second day of the Lunar New Year is reserved for visiting the in-laws on the wife’s side of the family. Traditionally, when a woman is married, she must live with her husband and his family. On the second day, the husband accompanies his wife to her parents’ home for a family reunion, to visit friends and relatives, and to maintain relations.
Lantern Festival (Fireworks in the South, Sky Lanterns in the North)
The Lantern Festival is celebrated on the 15th day of the first month of the lunar calendar, which is the first full moon of the year. It marks the end of the Spring Festival celebrations and the beginning of the spring season. The Lantern Festival has various origins and legends, but one of the most common ones is that it commemorates the birthday of the Taoist deity Tianguan, who is in charge of good fortune. On this day, people will light lanterns of different shapes and sizes, and display them in temples, streets, and homes. Some lanterns have riddles written on them, and people can try to guess the answers for fun and prizes. The lanterns are also believed to ward off evil spirits and bring blessings to the people.
In Southern Taiwan, especially in the cities of Tainan and Kaohsiung, the Lantern Festival is celebrated with spectacular fireworks displays. The most famous one is the Yanshui Beehive Fireworks Festival, where thousands of firecrackers are launched into the crowd from beehive-like structures. The firecrackers are supposed to bring good luck and health to those who are hit by them, but they can also cause injuries and burns. Therefore, participants must wear protective clothing, helmets, and gloves, and follow the safety instructions. The Yanshui Beehive Fireworks Festival is considered one of the most dangerous and exciting festivals in the world.
In northern Taiwan, especially in the town of Pingxi, the Lantern Festival is celebrated with sky lanterns. Sky lanterns are paper lanterns with a candle inside, which creates hot air that lifts the lantern into the sky. People write their wishes and prayers on the lanterns, and release them into the night sky, creating a beautiful and magical sight. The sky lanterns are said to carry the messages to the heavens, and bring good fortune and happiness to the people. The Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival is one of the most popular and romantic festivals in Taiwan, and attracts millions of visitors every year.
Dragon Boat Festival (Double Fifth Festival)
The Dragon Boat Festival is celebrated on the fifth day of the fifth month of the lunar calendar, which usually falls in June on the Western calendar. It commemorates the death of Qu Yuan, a patriotic poet and statesman who lived in the Warring States period of ancient China. Qu Yuan was loyal to his king and country, but was slandered by corrupt officials and banished from the court. He wrote many poems expressing his sorrow and love for his homeland, and became a symbol of integrity and patriotism. When he learned that his country was invaded and conquered by a rival state, he drowned himself in the Miluo River in despair. The people who admired him raced to the river in boats, trying to save him or retrieve his body. They also threw rice dumplings into the water, hoping to feed the fish and prevent them from eating Qu Yuan’s body. This is the origin of the dragon boat races and the rice dumplings that are the main features of the Dragon Boat Festival.
On this day, people will watch or participate in dragon boat races, which are exciting and competitive events. Dragon boats are long and narrow boats with a dragon head and tail, and can accommodate up to 20 paddlers, a drummer, and a steersman. The drummer beats a drum to set the pace and rhythm for the paddlers, while the steersman guides the direction of the boat. The paddlers must work together and coordinate their movements to propel the boat forward. The first boat to reach the finish line wins the race. Dragon boat races are held in various rivers and lakes across Taiwan, and attract many teams and spectators.
People will also eat rice dumplings, which are glutinous rice wrapped in bamboo leaves, and filled with different ingredients, such as pork, mushrooms, chestnuts, eggs, beans, etc. Rice dumplings are also known as zongzi, and have various shapes and flavors, depending on the region and preference. They are cooked by steaming or boiling, and can be eaten hot or cold. Rice dumplings are not only delicious, but also symbolic of Qu Yuan’s sacrifice and the people’s respect for him.
Qixi Festival (Chinese Valentine’s Day)
The Qixi Festival is celebrated on the seventh day of the seventh month of the lunar calendar, which usually falls in August on the Western calendar. It is based on a romantic legend of two star-crossed lovers, the cowherd and the weaver girl. The cowherd was a mortal man who fell in love with the weaver girl, who was a fairy and the daughter of the goddess of heaven. They eloped and got married, and had two children. However, their marriage was discovered by the goddess, who was furious and separated them by creating a river of stars, the Milky Way, in the sky. The cowherd and the weaver girl were only allowed to meet once a year, on the seventh day of the seventh month, when a flock of magpies would form a bridge across the Milky Way, allowing them to cross over and reunite. The cowherd and the weaver girl are represented by the stars Altair and Vega, which are the brightest stars on either side of the Milky Way.
On this day, lovers will express their love and devotion to each other, by exchanging gifts, flowers, cards, etc. They will also pray for a happy and lasting relationship, and look at the night sky, hoping to see the cowherd and the weaver girl meet. Single people will also pray for finding their true love, and perform various rituals, such as throwing a needle into a bowl of water, and seeing if it floats or sinks. If it floats, it means that the person has good needlework skills, which is a desirable quality for a potential spouse. Another ritual is to make a wish while looking at the star Vega, which is the weaver girl, and then move a potted plant indoors. If the plant blooms overnight, it means that the wish will come true.
Moon Festival (Mid-Autumn Festival)
The Moon Festival is celebrated on the 15th day of the eighth month of the lunar calendar, which is the day of the fullest and brightest moon of the year. It falls around mid-September to early October on the Western calendar. It is a harvest festival that originated in ancient China, where people would worship the moon goddess and thank her for the bounty of the crops. The moon is also associated with the legend of Chang’e, a beautiful woman who swallowed an elixir of immortality and flew to the moon, where she became the moon goddess. Her husband missed her so much that he built a palace on the moon to be with her. However, he could not stay there forever, and had to return to Earth. Every year, on the night of the full moon, he would look up at the sky and think of his beloved wife.
On this day, people will eat mooncakes, which are round pastries with various fillings, such as lotus seed paste, red bean paste, egg yolk, nuts, etc. Mooncakes are symbolic of reunion and harmony, as they are shaped like the full moon. They are also associated with the legend of the Mooncake Uprising, a rebellion against the Mongol rule in the Yuan Dynasty. According to the legend, the rebels hid secret messages inside the mooncakes, and distributed them to the people, who opened them on the night of the Moon Festival and learned of the plan to overthrow the Mongols.
People will also barbecue outdoors, which is a relatively modern tradition that started in the 1980s. The origin of this custom is unclear, but some say it was influenced by a TV commercial that promoted barbecued meat as a Moon Festival delicacy. Others say it was a way of adapting to the urban lifestyle, where people could not easily see the moon from their apartments, so they went outside to enjoy the moonlight and the food. Barbecuing is a social activity that brings people together, and allows them to share their stories and feelings.
The Moon Festival is a time for family, friends, and lovers to celebrate and appreciate the beauty of the moon, and the bonds that connect them. It is also a time to reflect on the past, present, and future, and to express gratitude for the blessings of life.
