The Lunar New Year, also known as Chinese New Year or Spring Festival, is the most significant traditional holiday in Taiwan. The holiday revolves around a plethora of cultural customs, family gatherings, and feasts. The celebration typically begins on the eve of the Lunar New Year and lasts for 15 days, until the Lantern Festival. This significant holiday marks the start of the new year according to the lunar calendar, typically falling between January and February.
The Lunar New Year holiday in Taiwan is deeply rooted in traditions and rituals. Red is the primary color for the holiday, symbolizing good luck and happiness. Families reunite, homes are cleaned to sweep away bad luck, and red lanterns and calligraphy banners are hung for blessings. The holiday is also characterized by beautiful firework displays, giving of red envelopes (hóngbāo) containing money for luck, dragon dances, and the food feasts of dumplings, fish, and Tangyuan (sweet rice balls), which are symbolically associated with unity and prosperity.
Another distinct feature of Lunar New Year in Taiwan is the worship of ancestors and deities. Some Taiwanese travel from urban areas back to their hometowns during the holiday to participate in these rituals at ancestral homes and temples, displaying a profound show of respect and remembrance. The Lunar New Year holiday, with its unique blend of culture, family, and tradition, thus occupies a deeply cherished place in the hearts of Taiwanese people, making it a vibrant and unparalleled celebration in the country.