Lunar New Year in Taiwan

Lunar New Year or Kuè-nî (Chinese: 臺灣農曆新年; pinyin: Táiwān Nónglì Xīnnián; lit. 'Taiwanese Agricultural Calendar New Year') is a traditional festival and national holiday in Taiwan commemorating the first day of the traditional lunisolar Chinese calendar.
The festival is most commonly referred to as 農曆新年 (Nónglì Xīnnián) or 過年 (Gùonián), meaning Agricultural Calendar New Year, emphasizing its basis in the agricultural lunisolar calendar. The term 春節 (Chūnjié), or Spring Festival, is not usually used as it is more commonly associated with celebrations in mainland China, even though 農曆新年 (Nónglì Xīnnián) and 過年 (Gùonián) are also commonly used there. Taiwanese usage of these terms often highlights the festival's agricultural and traditional significance rather than its association with the spring season.
Lunar New Year in Taiwan additionally reflects the island's distinct social and cultural landscape. For example, Taiwan incorporates elements from indigenous cultures, particularly in rural areas in the eastern part of Taiwan, adding a layer of diversity to the holiday. The festival in Taiwan often reflects the nation’s distinct cultural identity, which continued to diverge after its separation from mainland China in 1949. Lunar New Year serves as both a time for family reunions and a reaffirmation of cultural heritage. It highlights Taiwan’s rich blend of Han Taiwanese customs, indigenous influences, and modern adaptations. Lunar New Year celebrations incorporate a mix of Han Taiwanese traditions and local Taiwanese practices.
In Taiwan, preparations for the Lunar New Year are extensive, beginning with a thorough "annual cleaning" of homes to sweep away bad luck and prepare for the coming year. This is a symbolic act to purify the household and ensure prosperity. In Taiwan, the tradition is to worship the Earth God on the 16th day of the twelfth month, and companies hold year-end parties on this day. With time, companies have adjusted the date of these parties to fit practical needs, sometimes even replacing them with spring banquets after the holiday. In mainland China, influenced by the Cultural Revolution, the 16th of the twelfth month was changed to ancestor worship.
A significant event before the New Year is the "seeing off the gods" ritual, held on the 24th day of the lunisolar month. During this time, offerings are made to the gods, bidding them farewell as they return to the heavens for their annual vacation. This departure sets the stage for the festive period, where the gods are believed to vacate their earthly duties.
Taiwanese families gather for a large "reunion dinner" on New Year’s Eve, similar to the family reunions seen in mainland China. The meal is imbued with symbolic foods that represent various blessings for the coming year. Common dishes include fish for abundance, tangerines for good fortune, and dumplings for prosperity. The reunion dinner is also a time for giving red envelopes, known as hóngbāo, containing money that is given to children and younger family members for good luck. This tradition differs slightly in Taiwan, where adults also present red envelopes to their parents as a sign of respect and gratitude.
For the reunion dinner, Taiwanese families often prioritize local delicacies, such as pineapple cakes (鳳梨酥), Kuihs (粿), mochis (麻糬), and mustard green vegetable (長年菜), symbolizing prosperity, good fortune, and longevity, respectively. While large fireworks displays are popular in some places, Taiwan tends to focus more on temple visits, lantern-lighting ceremonies, and family reunions. Post-dinner activities typically include playing games, watching television, and spending time with family until after midnight. It is believed that staying awake late on New Year's Eve will preserve the longevity of one’s parents.
Taiwanese Lunar New Year celebrations span several days, each with specific customs and traditions. The first six days are particularly significant, as they mark different aspects of welcoming the new year, honoring deities, and strengthening family bonds.
On the first day of the new year, people dress in new (preferably red) clothes and visit temples to pray for peace and prosperity in the coming year. This practice is called Zǒuchūn (走春), which translates to "spring outings." Families also visit relatives and friends to exchange New Year greetings. There are several taboos on this day, including avoiding sweeping the floor (to prevent sweeping away good luck), breaking dishes (which is mitigated by saying "suìsuì píng’ān" (歲歲平安), meaning "peace year after year"), and arguing. Additionally, it is considered inauspicious to eat porridge on this day, as porridge was traditionally associated with poverty.
One unique Lunar New Year tradition in Taiwan that has caught the attention of some mainland netizens is the practice of political leaders handing out hóngbāo (紅包) to the public. The President, government officials, and local leaders often distribute red envelopes during public events as a symbolic gesture of goodwill and prosperity for the new year. These envelopes typically contain NT$1, representing the phrase yīyuán fùshǐ, wànxiàng gēngxīn (一元復始、萬象更新), meaning "a new beginning and endless renewal." The long lines of people queuing for these red envelopes have even been seen as an informal measure of a politician’s popularity.
The second day is known as "Yíngxù Rì" (迎婿日), or "Welcoming the Son-in-Law Day." In Taiwan, married daughters return to their parents' home with their husband and children to visit their birth family (回娘家). They bring gifts and red envelopes, ensuring that both the number of items and the monetary amounts are even, as odd numbers are considered unlucky. This practice is not often seen in mainland China. This practice emphasizes the role of the husband’s family in the Taiwanese culture, as married daughters are considered part of their husband’s household.
The third day is when rats hold their weddings, so people are discouraged from social visits are encouraged to go to bed early and scatter rice grains and salt in the corners of their homes to maintain harmony between humans and mice.
On the fourth day (接神日), people prepare offerings to welcome back the gods who had ascended to the heavens before the new year. This tradition originates from the belief that deities return to inspect households and bring blessings. Offerings typically include three types of meats, four kinds of fruits, steamed rice cakes (Fagao), candies, three cups of tea, and joss paper. Because of the importance of greeting the returning gods, travelling far from home is discouraged on this day.
The fifth day is known as "Pòwǔ" (破五), meaning "Breaking the Fifth," as it marks the end of several New Year taboos. In Taiwan, businesses officially reopen on this day, and many shop owners and companies hold ceremonies to welcome the God of Wealth (Cáishén), hoping for a prosperous year ahead. Firecrackers are often set off to drive away bad luck accumulated over the holiday period. However, one restriction remains—earthmoving activities, such as digging or construction, are still avoided, as they are believed to invite misfortune. Contrary to mainland China, where businesses usually re-open on the sixteenth day of the Lunar New Year, in Taiwan, businesses traditionally re-open on the sixth day of the Lunar New Year.
The sixth day is associated with sending away misfortune and bad luck. People clean their homes, dispose of garbage collected over the holiday, and burn joss paper to symbolically send away poverty (Sòngqióng, 送窮). Businesses that did not reopen on the fifth day usually resume operations on the sixth. Firecrackers are commonly set off outside storefronts as a way of attracting good fortune for the year ahead. From this day onward, most New Year taboos are lifted, and people can return to their normal routines.
In the morning of the ninth day (traditionally anytime between midnight and 7 am), Taiwanese households set up an altar table with three layers: one top (containing offertories of six vegetables (Chinese: 六齋; pinyin: liù zhāi; those being noodles, fruits, cakes, tangyuan, vegetable bowls, and unripe betel), all decorated with paper lanterns) and two lower levels (five sacrifices and wines) to honour the deities below the Jade Emperor. The household then kneels three times and kowtows nine times to pay obeisance and wish him a long life. Incense, tea, fruit, vegetarian food or roast pig, and gold paper are served as customary protocol for paying respect to an honored person. In Taiwan in the 2000s, some employers also gave red packets as a bonus to maids, nurses or domestic workers from Southeast Asian countries, although whether this is appropriate is controversial.
After days of heavy feasting, people usually eat simple vegetarian meals to cleanse the digestive system. Some people make offerings to Guan Yu, the God of War, for protection and justice.
Lunar New Year celebrations in Taiwan are marked by a mix of time-honored rituals and modern conveniences. While traditional practices like offering sacrifices to the gods and enjoying symbolic foods remain central to the festivities, modern-day elements such as shopping, traveling, and electronic red envelope exchanges have emerged. Lunar New Year celebrations in Taiwan often focus on intimate family gatherings, with a strong emphasis on respect for elders and preserving familial harmony.
Overall, Lunar New Year is a blend of ancient customs and modern-day celebrations, offering a unique experience that highlights Taiwan's rich cultural heritage.
Taiwanese Lunar New Year cuisine features distinct dishes that set it apart from celebrations in mainland China. While there are shared traditions, many local delicacies reflect Taiwan’s unique culinary heritage and regional influences.
Taiwan’s Lunar New Year food reflects the nation’s diverse heritage, blending Hokkien, Hakka, and indigenous influences.
In Taiwan, spring travel is a significant event known as the Lunar New Year travel rush. The primary mode of transportation in western Taiwan is oriented in a north-south direction, facilitating long-distance travel between the urbanized north and rural hometowns in the south. However, transportation in eastern Taiwan and between Taiwan and its outlying islands is less convenient. Cross-strait flights between Taiwan and Mainland China commenced in 2003 as part of the Three Links initiative, primarily catering to "Taiwanese businessmen" returning to Taiwan for the new year.