Christmas in Taiwan~It's literally called "The Holy Birth Holiday" and yes, teachers still work on 12-25

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Is there Christmas in Taiwan?

Well, kind of. You can see decorations hanging in front of/in restaurants, or places of entertainment, but the decorations are not as common and ubiquitous as in the US. Co-workers mention Christmas sometime at the school I work at, and the kids sometimes randomly sing a few traditional carols (about Santa), and in the department stores you can hear sacred carols including "Silent Night" and "Away in a Manger". When I went to a stationary store, I even saw some signs that said, "Jesus is Born". So, yes, there are signs of Christmas, but very little celebration. You can feel that most people have no interest in Christmas. This is not to give a sad blog entry, and I'm not trying to be negative. However, fact is fact. At 94%!B(MISSING)uddhist, Taiwanese people are not too concerned about this celebration. One thing I think is amazing though, is that "Christmas" in Chinese is literally translated "Holy Birth Holiday". I think if we used that title instead of "Christmas", there would be little misunderstanding of Christmas's real meaning!

Christians do celebrate Christmas, of course, but usually just with a few church activities the week before Christmas. A lot of Believers feel that, with most of the country being disinterested in the holiday, they too feel little excitement.I think we don't realize how much we are truly influenced by others. On Christmas day, Christians may have a special dinner or prayer time. The church I attend will have a Christmas Day Service, and time of celebration.

So yes, there is Christmas in Taiwan, but not nearly to the extent and fervor as in Western countries. To me, Christmas in America will always remain a sort of heaven on earth. I am so proud to be from a country that observes Christmas with such passion and delight, although many have tried to commercialize it. In my opinion, we cannot, as the saying goes, "Throw the baby out with the bathwater". Thank God for Christmas, and treasure it as you spend it with your dear family~those memories will become shining stars in your heart and mind forever, to warm you in future days.

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