Traditions of Taiwan

Big Bowl Tea

This special type of tea is a way of brewing tea which origin by the tradition of the Hakka people of Miaoli in Taiwan and is also meant to show kindness to weary travelers passing by on foot which symbolize the generosity and hospitality, a simple gesture of respect and a willingness to help those in need.

The procedure of making the Big Bowl Tea is simply putting a few tea leaves in a large bowl of hot water whereby this kind of brewing tea method is associated with San Wan Township in Miaoli.

There is another method of making Big Bowl Tea where the rice husks spread on the surface of the brewed tea which was used to discourage travelers from hastily drinking the tea hence it acts as a reminder to the travelers slow down and breathe easily before rushing off again.

Wedding

Traditional activities practiced during wedding:

• Presenting betrothal gifts
  
  
• Sitting in a bridal sedan chair
  
  
• Worshipping Heaven and Earth
  
  
• Paying obeisance to parents and to each other
  
  
• Presenting candies
  
  
• Lighting cigarettes
  
  
• Serving tea to collecting lucky money
  
  
• Teasing the newlywed in the wedding night
  
  
• Crying at wedding ( by Gaoshan nationality)
  
  
• Marriage by kidnapping ( by Gaoshan nationally)
  
  
• Carrying the bride on the groom’s back ( by Taromak people)
  
  
• Swinging before marriage ( by Paiwan people)
  
  
• Planting a pine tree at the wedding day ( by Saisiat people)

Ghost Month

This is a time whereby the Taiwanese are honoring the ancestors in which one way of doing that is to place food on a table outside homes so that the ancestors can have something to eat when they will visit their homes. On the other hand, businessmen will also make offerings in front of their businesses for good luck.

During this ghost month, the Taiwanese will be out in front of their homes burning money, paper clothing and other things for their ancestors because they believed that the smoke from the burning carries the essence of the money to the ancestors. In order to provide their ancestors with the things they once enjoyed on earth, burning of goods, fruit, food, even alcoholic beverages to the ancestors are all essential.


During pregnancy

During pregnancy, no construction work should be done in the house of the pregnant women and they should not attend funerals throughout the entire pregnancy. Also, they believed that in order to scare away evil spirits, the Taiwanese women may choose to sleep with knives under their bed.

Also, a month before the baby is due; the maternal grandmother will send tsue shen which is a package of clothing for her expectant daughter, where inside the package, there will be white cloth which is used to wrap the newborn. The maternal grandmother will wait for three days after the baby arrives before she visits the newborn bringing all her clothes and baby equipment.

In addition to the strain of labour, the mother will often drink a strong herbal potion. Once the baby is born they will often pray to the goddess who helped them conceive with an offering of sweet meats and incense.