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Latest Update 26th, Feb 2009
Taiwan Festivals and Public Holidays
January
1st Jan - New
Year’s Day / Foundation Day
(Public holiday)
-
Beginning of the Gregorian calendar year and
Marks the founding of the Republic of China in
1911. Schools and offices are rest and many of
them remaining closed on 2nd and 3rd
Jan.
January/February
1st-3rd Jan (Lunar) – Chinese New Year (Public holiday) - Start of a Chinese year, most important festival in Taiwan. Celebration with family, gatherings, exchange hongbao (lucky money in small envelopes).
6th Jan (Lunar) – Qingshui Zushi’s birthday - Commemorates the quasi-historic figure from Fujian, revered for his wisdom and munificence. Main ceremonies at Zushih Temple in Sansia, outside Taipei, including the ritual slaying of “God Pigs”.
9th Jan (Lunar) – Jade Emperor’s Birthday - Pays tribute to the chief Taoist deity, the head of celestial government thought to mirror that of Imperial China. Main ceremonies at temples in Dasi, Taichung and Tainan.
15 Jan (Lunar) –
Lantern Festival
- End of Chinese New Year festivities.
Main activities are the public distribution and
display of paper lantern and setting off
firework. Launching of paper lantern into the
sky was performed in some of the cities, but
most famously in Pingsi.
February
28 Feb – Peace Memorial Day
(Public holiday)
- Known as “228 Memorial Day”, it
commemorates the 228 incident, in which massive
public protests which started on February 28,
1947 sparked a military crackdown that claimed
at least 28,000 lives and ushered in forty years
of martial law.
February/March
3rd Feb
(Lunar) – Wenchang Dijun’s Birthday
- Pays respect to the God of Literature
or Culture, revered by students and their
parents ahead of exams. Offerings of incense and
wishes are written on colorful paper placed in
glass jars.
March
19 Feb (Lunar) – Guanyin’s Birthday - The Goddess of mercy’s birthday, celebrated at Buddhist temples especially in Taipei Longshan Temple.
29 March – Youth Day
(Public holiday)
- Pays tribute to the more than hundred
of Sun Yat Sen’s revolutionaries who killed in
the failed Canton Uprising against the imperial
Qing government in 1911.
March/April
3rd March (Lunar) – Queen Mother of the West’s Birthday - Main festivities in Hualien, honors the highest ranking female deity, often portrayed as the wife of Jade Emperor.
April
5th Apr – Tomb Sweeping Day (Public holiday) - Anniversary of Chiang Kai Shek’s death; “grave cake” are offered and paper money is burnt.
15 March (Lunar) –
Baosheng Dadi’s Birthday
- The “great Emperor who preserves life”.
Main celebration is held in north Tainan.
April/May
Bunun Ear-shooting Festival - Most important celebration of the Bunnun tribe, traditionally a test of archery skills to mark the coming of age of the tribe’s males.
Dajia Mazu Pilgrimage - The eight-day, seven-night pilgrimage comprises one of the world’s biggest religious festivals, with worshippers parading a caravan containing one of the island’s most revered Mazu deities around a circuit before returning it to its mother temple in Dajia.
23 March (Lunar) – Mazu’s Birthday - The other most important folk festivals in Taiwan, celebrating the birthday of Mazu, Godness of the Sea, the island’s most popular folk deity. Mazu deities are returned to their “mother temples”on this day to be blessed and increase their spiritual powers. The liveliest celebrations are held at Dajia’s Jhenlan Temple, Beigan’s Chaotian Temple and Lugang’s Tianhou Temple.
1st May – Labour Day (Public holiday) - Celebrates workers’ rights and the eight-hour workday in line with international convention.
Donggang Bluefin
Tuna Festival -
Taiwanese flock to
this fishing town to feast on fresh Pacific
Bluefin Tuna, revered by the Japanese.
May/June
8 Apr (Lunar) - Cleansing Buddha Festival - Celebrates the birth of Buddha in accordance with Mahayana School. Worshippers flock to Buddhist temples-island wide, with monasteries such as Chung Tai Chan, Foquanshan temple and Dharma Drum hosting legions of devotees.
5 May (Lunar) - Dragon
Boat Festival - One of the three
major holidays, featuring dragon boat races held
in honour of the poet Qu Yuan, according to
legend, drowned himself in protest after being
slandered by envious officials on this datein
280BC. Races held in most major cities with
waterways. Including international races in
Taipei and Keelung.
June
13 May (Lunar) -
Taipei City God Birthday - Includes fireworks,
elaborate dances by temple guardians and a
lavish parade in which the deity is carried
around the streets surrounding Taipei's City God
Temple.
July/August
24 June (Lunar) -
Guan Di's Birthday - Taiwan's one of the most
admired deities, known as god of war. Ceremonies
held island-wide, biggest ceremonies held in
Taipei Xingtian Temple.
August
Ami Harvest Festival
- One of the most colorful aboriginal
celebrations, centred on dancing, singing and
coming-of-age rituals for young men. Although
dates vary from year to year, the most important
festival of the Ami tribe is generally held in
late summer, often in August. Ask at villages
north of Taitung.
August/September
1st July (Lunar) - Ghost Month Begins - The time when gates of the hell are opened and spirits of "hungry ghost" haunt the living.
15 July (Lunar) - Ghost Festival - Major festival held in Keelung, Tucheng and Hengchun. Burning of incense and paper money, families offer flowers, fruit and three sacrificial offering: chicken or duck, pig and fish. Most famous is the Keelung Ghost Festival, a unique version of Zhongyuan Pudu, where an elaborate night parade is held before thousand of glowing "water lanterns" are released onto Keelung River to appease the ghosts of those killed by drowning.
30 July (Lunar
midnight) - End of Ghost Month -
The gates
of hell close and "hungry ghosts" return to the
underworld.
September
September - Taipei County International Kites Festival - Both the topography and climate make Baishawan Beach an ideal place for kite flying. Kite flying performers from countries all over the world are invited. The festival hosted by the Taipei County Government provides Shihmen Village with an opportunity to promote the exchange of techniques with international performers. More information visit here
15
Aug (Lunar) - Autumn Festival
(Public
holiday)
-
Known as "moon
festival" families gather in parks and scenic
spots to admire what is regarded as the years
most luminous moon and share moon cakes and
pomeloes.
October
October
-
Yingge Ceramics Festival -
The Yingge Ceramics
Festival is an activity combining ceramic
industry, art , and tourism, and the exhibition
of ceramics, art demonstrations and
performances, and educational workshops are held
during the festival.
Most of
the activities center around the Ceramics
Museum, Old Pottery Street, and the ceramics
park behind the museum.
The
Ceramics Museum provides a chance for the
visitors to get hands-on experience producing
the handicrafts.
More
information visit
here
November
1st
November (Lunar) -
Wangchuan Ritual at Sanliao Bay, Peimen -
Tunglong Temple at Sanliao
Bay was originally named Cian Temple. Later, as
it had built up relations with Wan Wang-yeh of
Tunglong Temple at Tungkang, Pingtung, it was
renamed as the second Tunglong Temple in Taiwan.
In
Tunglong Temple at Sanliao Bay, people worship
Wu-fu Chien-shui (The Five Highness).
On November 1, it was the
date to worship Wan Wang-yeh (King Wan). Every
three years, people will expand their ceremony
and hold a grand scale Wangchuan (King Boat)
Ritual, bringing crowds of people into the
simple and quiet small town.
More
information visit
here
Dec
Puyuma Ear-shooting Festival - Celebration of the Puyuma tribe, traditionally a test of archery skills. Rituals held near Jhihben, to the south of Taitung.
Tsou Fona Festival -
Celebration of the “fona” Tsou language for the
hyacinth bean, symbol of the longevity of the
Tsou nation. Festival include a modified Tsou
wedding ceremony which takes place at the 47.5
KM marker of Highway 18.
| 2008 | ||
| Holidays | Lunar Calendar | Solar Calendar |
| Chinese New Year | Jan.1 | Feb.7 |
| Lantern Festival | Jan.15 | Feb.21 |
| Tomb Sweeping Day | Feb.28 | Apr.4 |
| Dragon Festival | May. 5 | Jun.8 |
| Ghost Festival | Jul.15 | Aug.15 |
| Mid-Autumn Festival | Aug.15 | Sep.14 |
| Double Ninth Day | Sep.9 | Oct.7 |
| 2009 | ||
| Holidays | Lunar Calendar | Solar Calendar |
| Chinese New Year | Jan.1 | Jan.26 |
| Lantern Festival | Jan.15 | Feb.9 |
| Tomb Sweeping Day | Mar.9 | Apr.4 |
| Dragon Festival | May. 5 | May.28 |
| Ghost Festival | Jul.15 | Sep.3 |
| Mid-Autumn Festival | Aug.15 | Oct.3 |
| Double Ninth Day | Sep.9 | Oct.26 |
| 2010 | ||
| Holidays | Lunar Calendar | Solar Calendar |
| Chinese New Year | Jan.1 | Feb.14 |
| Lantern Festival | Jan.15 | Feb.28 |
| Tomb Sweeping Day | Feb.21 | Apr.5 |
| Dragon Festival | May.5 | Jun.16 |
| Ghost Festival | Jul.15 | Aug.24 |
| Mid-Autumn Festival | Aug.15 | Sep.22 |
| Double Ninth Day | Sep.9 | Oct.16 |
| 2011 | ||
| Holidays | Lunar Calendar | Solar Calendar |
| Chinese New Year | Jan.1 | Feb.3 |
| Lantern Festival | Jan.15 | Feb.17 |
| Tomb Sweeping Day | Mar.3 | Apr.5 |
| Dragon Festival | May. 5 | Jun.6 |
| Ghost Festival | Jul.15 | Aug.14 |
| Mid-Autumn Festival | Aug.15 | Sep.12 |
| Double Ninth Day | Sep.9 | Oct.5 |
Click here to Taiwan Lunar Calendar
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