TAIWAN HOLIDAYS IN 2023 & 2024

Whilst we all know Christmas and New Year, holidays in Taiwan can be a bit different. Here we discuss festivals in Taiwan, when the holidays in Taiwan fall, and how Taiwanese celebrate their national holidays.

You’ll then also find an explanation of what these Taiwanese holidays mean… From Qixi to Lunar New Year, we’ve got you covered!

The lists of Taiwan holidays below include all of the official ones. It also includes the dates for the Taiwan holidays in 2023 and 2024. At the end you can find a list of unofficial Taiwan holidays – this isn’t a definitive list, as there are many more!

Taiwan Holidays || Holidays in Taiwan Introduction

Taiwan Holidays || Holidays in Taiwan 2023 Dates

Taiwan Holidays || Holidays in Taiwan 2024 Dates

Taiwan Holidays || Chinese New Year / Jan, Feb

Taiwan Holidays || Peace Memorial Day / Feb

Taiwan Holidays || Children’s Day / April

Taiwan Holidays || Tomb Sweeping Day / April

Taiwan Holidays || Labor Day / May

Taiwan Holidays || Dragon Boat Festival / May

Taiwan Holidays || Mid-Autumn Festival / September

Taiwan Holidays || ROC National Day / October

Taiwan Holidays || Unofficial Holidays in Taiwan List

Taiwan Holidays || Qixi / Lantern Festival / Ghost Festival / Double Ninth

Taiwan Holidays || Compensated Days

Please note LTL Mandarin School Taiwan is open 365 days a year and classes are taken and arranged accordingly. If you have further questions about Taiwan Bank holidays, please contact us.

Holidays in Taiwan || Introduction

Whilst Taiwan shares some of the same holidays that we do in the west, there are some big differences and some big additions.

One of the biggest ones you’ll notice is that whilst Christmas and New Year fall on the same day for those in the west on the Gregorian calendar every year, Taiwan’s biggest holiday, Lunar New Year (Chinese New Year), changes annually.

Why? Well, technically, the date doesn’t change annually at all. It just seems that way since when it translates into the Gregorian calendar from the Lunar Calendar, the dates don’t match up and therefore change annually according to the Gregorian calendar.

According to the Lunar Calendar, however, these dates are the same annually. For example, Qixi falls on the 7th day of the 7th lunar month. Chinese New Year falls on the first three days of the 1st lunar month. And so on!

Not all festivals in Taiwan are according to the Lunar Calendar, though. Some dates are according to the Gregorian calendar (the 12-month one used most commonly in the west).

Some of these holidays in Taiwan are national holidays and therefore days off work. Some of them are only observed by a portion of the population and not nationally, and some are celebrated but are not days off!

Holidays in Taiwan || 2023 Dates

The following is a list of the national holidays in Taiwan in 2023 and their dates.

COMPENSATION DAYS – In Taiwan and the Mainland, compensation work takes place in order to allow a longer holiday break. This was implemented because many family members have to make long journeys from work cities to home towns and allows them to spend longer with their families during the most important times of the year.

2022 Taiwan compensation days are as follow:

* Saturday 29th and Sunday 30th January are worked.

This is an estimate. All dates need to be officially confirmed.

Holidays in Taiwan || 2024 Dates

The following is a list of the national holidays in Taiwan in 2024 and their dates.

Taiwan Festivals | Chinese New Year / Jan, Feb

A Complete Guide to the Chinese New Year

Chinese New Year is definitely the biggest of the Taiwan holidays on this list.

Celebrated all over the world by Chinese communities internationally, the Lunar New Year is also celebrated in Vietnam and Korea – among other countries.

It’s a week-long worth of celebrations and you can read all about it in the link above. It’s definitely worthy of its own blog, if not several!

Taiwan Festivals | Peace Memorial Day / Feb

Otherwise known as the February 28 Incident, or 288, it describes the massacre in Taiwan on 28th February.

It was an anti-government uprising in 1947 where 18,000-28,000 people were killed.

Peace Memorial Day is an important date in terms of Taiwanese holidays. It remembers this tragic day in Taiwan’s history.

Taiwan Festivals | Children’s Day / April

International Children’s Day is a holiday celebrated worldwide. In fact, in some countries, it’s a whole week, not just one day!

In Taiwan, this festival is celebrated together with women’s day on 4th April.

Taiwan Festivals | Qing Ming Jie / April

6 Things You Need to Know About Tomb Sweeping Festival

Qing Ming Jie, otherwise known as Tomb Sweeping Festival, is a very important festival in Taiwan – and a very important Chinese festival celebrated by various countries.

On this day, families revere their ancestors by visiting the tombs of their ancestors to clean gravesites and pray to their ancestors and make ritual offerings.

Taiwan Festivals | Labor Day / May

Labor Day is a holiday recognised all over the world and is a public holiday in various countries – including in the UK.

This Taiwan holiday is not actually an official national holiday but rather an unofficial holiday. Sorry Taiwan, no break for you here this labor day!

Labor away!

Taiwan Festivals | Dragon Boat Festival / May

The Dragon Boat Festival

Falling on the 5th day of the 5th month of the Lunar calendar, it falls in either May or June according to the Gregorian calendar.

Because of this, it’s also known as Double Fifth festival (05/05).

Interestingly, its English name translation has nothing to do with the Chinese translation; it’s called Dragon Boat festival as however the practice of Dragon Boat racing is common during this time.

Another thing common during this time is to eat Zongzi, a traditional sticky rice dumpling.

Taiwan Festivals | Mid-Autumn Festival / September

Mid-Autumn Festival and the Legend of Chang-E

Yes, that’s right. This Taiwan festival is the one with the moon cakes!

All throughout this mid-autumn festival time period you’ll see lots of moon cakes in all tastes, shapes, and sizes being sold. Make sure you dont miss out and grab one yourself, too!

This is one of THE most famous Chinese holidays. Second to Chinese New Year, it’s celebrated all over the world in China, Taiwan, and various other countries and cultures.

It’s called Moon Festival due to its relation with the moon; it falls on the 15th day of the eighth month of the Chinese lunisolar calendar, when the moon is at its fullest.

During this time, you’ll see lanterns hanging, families will get together and enjoy moon cakes, feasts, and appreciate the bright moon.

Taiwan Festivals | ROC National Day / October

National Day in Taiwan falls on 10th October every year, and for this reason is also known as Double Ten (10/10).

It celebrates the liberation of Taiwan from the Japanese.

Celebrations during this time include the raising of the flag at the presidential office, singing the national anthem, and also potentially military parades on big commemorative years.

The date is also celebrated in mainland China (PRC) but is hailed as the anniversary of thr Xinhai Revolution and is not a public holiday in China.

Taiwan Festivals | Unofficial Holidays in Taiwan

Below is a list of other holidays in Taiwan observed. It’s not a complete list by far, with some festivals in Taiwan celebrated by minority groups and indigenous communities.

Nevertheless, these are some of the bigger holidays in Taiwan that are unofficial and may not get you a day off work…!

Taiwan Festivals | Qixi / Lantern Festival / Ghost Festival / Double Ninth

Qixi Festival

Known as Chinese Valentine’s Day, Qixi Festival in Taiwan has been celebrated as part of Chinese culture since the Han Dynasty.

It’s a festival based on the mythology and story of the Cowherd and the Weaver girl (Zhinü and Niulang).

The story is that these two lovers’ paths only align once a year on the 7th of the 7th month in the lunar calendar.

Click the link below for the full version of this romantic story!

MORE || Learn all about Qixi Festival here.

Lantern Festival

This festival is celebrated during the full moon and marks the final day of the long Chinese New Year celebrations.

Lanterns are let and set off into the air, symbolising letting go of the past and onto the new in the New Year.

Previously, lanterns were quite basic – but in recent years they’ve become very ornate!

MORE || Find out more about Lantern Festival here.

Ghost Festival

This is a Taoist/Buddhist festival held not only in Taiwan and China but throughout East Asia (or indeed anywhere with Taoist/Buddhist traditions).

During Qingming Jie (above) and Double Ninth Festival (below), the living should visit the deceased.

In Ghost Festival, however, as you might anticipate – it’s the other way around. The deceased are believed to visit the living on this day.

There are many offerings and feasts during this day, and families prepare a meal for the deceased and leave a space for them at the table as if they were still alive, waiting for their visit…

MORE || Read more on this spooky Taiwanese holiday here.

Double Ninth Festival

Another festival to honour the dead, on this day many pay a visit to their ancestor’s graves.

Interestingly, although it is a traditional Chinese holiday existing for centuries, Taiwan repurposed it in 1966 to become a day to appreciate the elderly; Senior Citizen’s Day.

Taiwan Holidays || Why Work Compensation Days?

There is no doubt figuring out holidays in Taiwan and the Mainland is a tricky thing for a new comer!

There is a rather unique system for these holidays which involves days being moved around, making some Sunday’s working days.

But why!!

The reason is actually one that makes a lot of common sense, so let’s give you an example.

Chinese New Year is a 3 day holiday

So let’s say you get Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday off. Alongside the weekend that is 5 days off.

But why have 5 days off when you can create 7?

How this is done is to declare the Thursday and Friday of that week as holiday’s also, but to do this you must work two weekend days to make up for it!

Therefore, a weekend, either before or after the festival is declared a working “weekend”, giving you a 7 day working week for the pleasure. Likewise this could be split into two 6 day working weeks depending on how it falls.

Why make people work 7 days in a week?

The argument is this – having a 7 day holiday is much better than a 5 day holiday when a vast number of the population have to travel a LONG way to be home with families. This makes the journey far more worthwhile, 2 extra days makes the world of difference when spending, let’s say, 15 hours on the road from door to door to get home to families.

In a nutshell – that’s why there is a unique system like this for Taiwan Public Holidays.

NOTE – Our schools in the mainland follow a slightly different set of holidays. To find out more about the Mainland Public Holidays visit our page.