🎉 Festivals & Holidays

Lunar New Year is the most important festival in Taiwan and across East Asia. Families reunite for a big reunion dinner on New Year's Eve, exchange red envelopes (紅包) filled with lucky money, set off firecrackers, and visit temples. The 15-day celebration ends with the Lantern Festival, when people carry lanterns and eat sweet glutinous rice balls (湯圓).

農曆新年是台灣與整個東亞最重要的節日。除夕夜家人團聚吃年夜飯，互送包含壓歲錢的紅包，燃放鞭炮，前往廟宇祈福。長達 15 天的慶典以元宵節結束，大家提燈賞燈、吃湯圓。

The Lantern Festival marks the end of Lunar New Year celebrations. Across Taiwan, spectacular lantern displays light up the night sky. The most famous event is the Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival, where thousands of paper lanterns with wishes written on them are released into the sky. Traditional foods include sweet rice ball soup (湯圓) symbolizing family unity.

元宵節是農曆新年慶典的最後一天。全台各地燈會點亮夜空。最著名的是平溪天燈節，數千只寫上心願的天燈冉冉升空。傳統食物是代表家人團聚的湯圓。

Dragon Boat Festival commemorates the patriotic poet Qu Yuan, who drowned himself in a river over 2,300 years ago. People eat sticky rice dumplings (粽子 zongzi) wrapped in bamboo leaves and watch thrilling dragon boat races on rivers and lakes. Hanging calamus and mugwort (艾草) at doorways is a tradition to ward off illness.

端午節是為了紀念兩千三百多年前投江殉國的愛國詩人屈原。人們吃竹葉包裹的粽子，觀看刺激的龍舟競賽。在門口懸掛菖蒲與艾草是驅邪避病的傳統習俗。

Mid-Autumn Festival celebrates the harvest moon. Families gather outdoors to admire the full moon, eat mooncakes (月餅) filled with lotus paste or egg yolk, and grill barbecue (BBQ has become a beloved modern tradition in Taiwan). The festival is also associated with the legend of Chang'e, the moon goddess.

中秋節是慶祝豐收月圓的節日。家人聚在戶外賞月，吃蓮蓉或蛋黃口味的月餅，烤肉（BBQ 已成為台灣現代中秋的一大特色）。節日也與月宮仙女嫦娥的傳說相關。

Tomb Sweeping Day is a time to honor ancestors by visiting and cleaning their graves. Families bring food offerings, burn incense, and tidy tombstones. It is also a public holiday in Taiwan, and many people use the long weekend for spring outings into the countryside. The custom reflects Confucian values of filial piety and respect for the departed.

清明節是掃墓祭祖的日子，家人前往墓地清掃、獻上祭品、燒香祭拜。清明也是台灣的國定假日，許多人趁連假郊遊踏青。這個習俗體現了儒家孝道與慎終追遠的精神。

Halloween originated from the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain in Ireland and Scotland. Today it is celebrated in many countries with costumes, pumpkin carving, trick-or-treating, and haunted houses. In Taiwan, Halloween parties have become popular in schools and English-learning communities, making it a fun way to practice holiday vocabulary.

萬聖節源自古代愛爾蘭與蘇格蘭的凱爾特薩溫節。現今許多國家以化裝、雕南瓜、挨家挨戶要糖（不給糖就搗蛋）及鬼屋等方式慶祝。在台灣，萬聖節派對在學校和英語學習社群中越來越流行，是練習節慶英文的絕佳機會。

Christmas is a global holiday celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed by Christians and celebrated culturally by people worldwide. Modern Christmas traditions include decorating trees, exchanging gifts, singing carols, and sharing meals. In Taiwan, shopping malls and streets are decorated with lights each December, and Christmas has become a beloved commercial and social celebration.

聖誕節是慶祝耶穌基督誕生的全球節日，受基督徒信仰，並在世界各地以文化形式廣泛慶祝。現代聖誕節傳統包括裝飾聖誕樹、交換禮物、唱聖誕歌曲、共享佳肴。台灣每逢十二月，百貨公司與街道都會裝飾彩燈，聖誕節已成為深受喜愛的商業與社交慶典。

October 10 — "Double Ten" — is Taiwan's National Day, commemorating the Wuchang Uprising of 1911 that led to the founding of the Republic of China. Celebrations include a military parade, flag-raising ceremony in front of the Presidential Office in Taipei, and fireworks displays. Schools across Taiwan hold flag ceremonies and patriotic programs.

十月十日「雙十節」是中華民國的國慶日，紀念 1911 年辛亥革命武昌起義，開創中華民國。慶典包含閱兵典禮、台北總統府前升旗儀式與煙火表演。全台各校也舉行升旗典禮與愛國節目。