【活動公告】 01月文化角有獎徵答得獎名單 The list of winners for the Cultural Corner event in December

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Rufina

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林O安

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吳O亭

As a Taiwanese, our New Year celebrations are always very grand. The streets and alleys are filled with the sound of firecrackers and the familiar melodies of traditional New Year songs, signifying how much Taiwanese people value the arrival of a new year. During this time, almost everyone returns to their hometown to celebrate. Among all the traditions, I believe the most representative is the New Year’s Eve dinner, which marks the final night of the old year. No matter how far away they are, every family member will gather together on this day to enjoy a sumptuous feast prepared by the hardworking women of the family, who have been busy cooking from morning until night. Each dish carries its own meaningful symbolism. After dinner, the moment children look forward to most is lining up to give New Year’s greetings to their elders. In return, the elders give out red envelopes as blessings. Although the money in the red envelopes usually ends up being kept by the parents, the joyous atmosphere makes everyone feel happy and fulfilled. During the New Year period, every household buys fireworks, firecrackers, and sparklers to play with. It’s so much fun that people often go out to buy more after using them up. These moments form some of my fondest childhood memories. I love Taiwanese New Year because it’s a time to put up spring couplets, set off firecrackers, and buy new clothes with my family. These cultural traditions, passed down through generations, are no longer just routine practices—they have become heartfelt expressions of familial love, transcending the ordinary.

In Taiwan there are two new year celebrations one is celebrated new year coming the other is Chinese New year. We have seven days to celebrate the Chinese New Year. During the new year eve we will have delicious food and stay together. The first day of the new year we will go columbarium to see our ancestors to let them know we are living well. The second day we will go to my mom’s home. We will have bigger meals than new year eve. After New Year eve elder will give us red envelope. After that we will play Mahjong for fun. In the third day of the new year I will stay at home with my family. In the forth day of new year we will go to my grandmothers house to welcome the gods. The last day of the new year I will go to my friend’s house to drink to talk about our future and play PS5.

In Taiwan, Lunar New Year is an important holiday when families gather together for a reunion. First, we do spring cleaning to symbolize removing the old and welcoming the new. Then, on Chinese New Year’s Eve, we have a reunion dinner featuring special dishes like Buddha’s Temptation, rice cakes, mustard greens, and more.

During this time, children also receive red envelopes from their elders as a blessing. These traditions represent the hope for family unity, the farewell to the past, and good expectations for the future.

There are also some taboos during Lunar New Year. For example, you should avoid breaking things, but if something does break, you should immediately say “broken peace” to turn the bad omen into a positive meaning. Also, it is believed that sweeping out the trash, cutting your nails or hair, and arguing during this time may affect our luck in the coming year.