Holidays

Unlike American schools, Taiwanese, and many other Asian, schools treat Christmas as just another school day.

For the full experience try spending Christmas day as just another school day, or attend for half the day like me and some of the other exchange students did!

It was always a hope of mine that I would get to hang out with my new Taiwanese friends outside of school and NYE was the perfect chance for that! After being invited out by a few of my classmates I got to celebrate by eating conveyor belt sushi, exploring a night market, and setting off sparklers! (And of course getting lost a few times)

Unlike Christmas, on New Years Day Taiwanese students do get the day off school!

In America, we have winter break, while in Taiwan their school break comes in the form of Lunar New Year Break. Spanning just shy of a month near mid to end January through the week after Lunar New Year this year, Taiwanese students and families are given the chance to spend time with each other, set off firecrackers, light lanterns, exchange red envelopes, and enjoy a traditional Chinese family style meal.

During about a week of this break period, many businesses are closed, as me and the other exchange students found out while looking for food. Think of it as trying to eat out on Christmas day.