Holidays in Taiwan can be adventure filled,a shoppers Bonanza, and so much of a cultural and historical tour that one may not leave this island for wanting for more enjoyment. All tours of this island, formerly known as Formosa, can be exciting and of great fun. Holidays in Taiwan and Festivals in the Republic of China have a distinctive quality and are closely interwoven with the lives of the people.
The main holidays and festivals in Taiwan may be divided into two major categories: Festivals are associated with the traditional lunar calendar whereas official holidays are celebrated according to the western calendar. The lunar festivals developed from the customs of China's past, and to the celebrants, these occasions are a time for recalling one's cultural origins and remembering the wisdom of early ages. Such festivals include the Chinese New Year Festival, and Lantern Festival, all symbolic of discarding the old and ushering in the new; the Dragon Boat Festival, a time for warding off evil and strengthening the body; the Ghost Festival, when the outcasts from the underworld are given salvation; the Mid-Autumn Festival a celebration of the full moon and unity of mankind; and Double Ninth Festival is to remember the elders.
Official commemorative holidays are primarily based on the achievements of the people and are celebrated to remember events important to the development of the nation. These occasions include the Founding Day of the Republic of China; 228 Memorial Day; Women's Day; Youth Day; Children's Day; Tomb Sweeping Day; Armed Forces Day; Teachers' Day; and days commemorating the decisive events of the ROC's history, including Double Tenth National Day; Taiwan's Retrocession Day; and Constitution Day to name a few.
Both traditional festivals and commemorative holidays and Festivals in Taiwan are celebrated not only in a style unique to the region, but more importantly, in a way that both exhibits the significance of each occasion and fosters the hope of peace on earth
Lunar Calendar:
Prior to adoption of the Western solar calendar system, China exclusively followed a lunar calendar in determining the times of planting, harvesting, and festival occasions. Though today people in China use the western calendar for most practical matters of daily life, the old system still serves as the basis for determining numerous seasonal holidays. This coexistence of two calendar systems has long been accepted by the people of China. A lunar month is determined by the period required for the moon to complete its full phasic cycle of 29 and a half days, a standard that makes the lunar year a full 11 days shorter than its solar counterpart. This difference is made up every 19 years by the addition of seven lunar months. The 12 lunar months are further divided into 24 solar divisions distinguished by the four seasons and times of heat and cold, all bearing close relationship to the yearly cycle of agricultural work. These holidays are the Chinese New Year, Lantern festival, Farmers Day, Dragon Boat Festival, Ghost Festival, Mid Autumn Festival and Double Ninth Day.
Western Calendar
The solar calendar is based on the regular seasonal changes the earth undergoes in its yearly orbit around the sun. It was not until 1582 that the Gregorian calendar adopted by Pope Gregory XIII as the most accurate standard became the commonly used calendar around the world. The ROC adopted this system in its founding year of 1912.
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