Did you know that many people in Taiwan also celebrate popular ‘western holidays’ like Halloween and Christmas? When teaching my students about holidays celebrated in the United States, I was surprised at how much these kids already knew as well as the fact that many of my students celebrate these popular holidays themselves! However, they have their own take on these holiday traditions, swapping out candy-filled trick-or-treating for a costume-adorned parade. And at Christmas, you rarely see kids waking up to mountains of gifts or receiving the newest phone or gaming console. Instead, those who celebrate are often limited to one small gift or a fun activity. This is because Taiwan’s biggest holiday is right around the corner, the Lunar New Year!
Even with its rapid development, Taiwan has found a way to hold on to its cultural roots; it is not uncommon to see temples mixed in with high-rise buildings of major cities. Around the holidays, you will often catch people leaving a table of offerings or burning incense or “joss” (ghost money) in small canisters in front of their homes and businesses.
