Demonstrating clear cultural differences, Taiwan's native people celebrate a the joyful Harvest Festival while most of the country engages in the somewhat frightening Ghost Month practices of traditional Chinese culture.
This year in Taiwan, the "Ghost Month" of the Lunar Calendar coincides with the Amis celebration of Harvest Festival, an indigenous tradition with a history thousands of years old. In a similar manner to the Thanksgiving Day holiday celebrated in the United States, the indigenous Amis in Taiwan enjoy a a happy social celebration, whereas communities practicing the folk traditions of pre-modern China will gather to placate the ghosts of their ancestors.
Chinese culture, which was originally brought to Taiwan by the Kuomintang (KMT) and the Qing Dynasty before them, has provided many unique holiday traditions enjoyed by modern Taiwanese people, such as Lunar New Year. However, for some people from other cultural backgrounds, the traditions practiced during Ghost Month can be a little disturbing.
During the Ghost Month period, many practice the tradition of burning immense amounts of joss paper to placate ancestral ghosts and satisfy their needs in the afterlife. However, Taiwanese society has shown a remarkable ability to cultivate many very different religious traditions without too much social division.
Demonstrating clear cultural differences, Taiwan's native people celebrate a the joyful Harvest Festival while most of the country engages in the somewhat frightening Ghost Month practices of traditional Chinese culture.
This year in Taiwan, the "Ghost Month" of the Lunar Calendar coincides with the Amis celebration of Harvest Festival, an indigenous tradition with a history thousands of years old. In a similar manner to the Thanksgiving Day holiday celebrated in the United States, the indigenous Amis in Taiwan enjoy a a happy social celebration, whereas communities practicing the folk traditions of pre-modern China will gather to placate the ghosts of their ancestors.
Chinese culture, which was originally brought to Taiwan by the Kuomintang (KMT) and the Qing Dynasty before them, has provided many unique holiday traditions enjoyed by modern Taiwanese people, such as Lunar New Year. However, for some people from other cultural backgrounds, the traditions practiced during Ghost Month can be a little disturbing.
During the Ghost Month period, many practice the tradition of burning immense amounts of joss paper to placate ancestral ghosts and satisfy their needs in the afterlife. However, Taiwanese society has shown a remarkable ability to cultivate many very different religious traditions without too much social division.
A contrast is readily apparent in that the indigenous tribes have an island mentality which reveres the meager but valued blessings which nature provides on the small island. In contrast, the Chinese cultural traditions reflect a continental mentality and tend to conceptualize a never ending abundance that is ensured by the gods and ancestors, assuming they are continually appeased.
Despite differing mentalities and religious traditions, Taiwan continues to grow as a nation that fosters harmonious relations and prosperity shared between different culture groups.
The region's major Amis Harvest Festival was held July 19-21, however individual tribes and townships will continue to host local gatherings and festivals through August. As for Ghost Month, the gate to the spirit world opened on Aug. 1 and is expected to close again on Aug. 29.
Whether one chooses to attend a Chinese-Taoist Ghost Month event or an Amis Harvest Festival event this August, there are a fascinating array cultural ceremonies and sounds waiting to be discovered across Taiwan.
By Taiwan News
