With intersecting religious influences such as Daoism (Taoism), Confucianism, Buddhism and Christianity, as well as cultural influences stemming from China and surrounding countries in Asia, Taiwan holds a diverse and vibrant cultural community whose holidays and festivals run throughout the year. Popular religious and traditional holidays or festivals such as the Lantern Festival or Lunar New Year often run along the lunar calendar, which means the exact date changes every year. And many people in Taiwan even celebrate a combination of different religions such as Buddhism and Taoism, which has created a unique blend of beliefs and cultural practices on the island. With so many religions and calendars all blending together, it almost feels like every other weekend is another holiday, meaning that there is always something to celebrate, here!
This past weekend was full of holidays and traditions, with national holidays such as Children’s Day coinciding with traditional festivals such as the Qingming Festival (Tomb-sweeping or Ancestors’ Day). Commemorating future and past generations, these holidays go hand in hand and are celebrated on the same long weekend in Taiwan. For Children’s Day, many schools and businesses will celebrate through fun activities and discounts, respectively. For the Qingming Festival and over the long weekend, most people will be traveling to their hometowns or visiting family in order to prepare food and incense and pay respects to their ancestors. The long weekend is also a big time for local tourism, with many families taking advantage of the long weekend to travel across the island.
