The third day of the Chinese New Year 2025
Date: January 31, 2025 (Friday)
Country: Taiwan Public Holidays
Description
The third day of the Chinese New Year in Taiwan is the third day of the first month in the lunar calendar. Its exact date changes each year because the lunar calendar follows the moon, not the sun.
People see this day as part of the important first week of the new year. It helps mark the end of the most intense celebration days and the start of returning to normal life. It is a time to think about the year ahead.
This day has strong cultural meaning. It is linked to how families, friends, and communities renew bonds and show respect to their past and future. Many people pay attention to this day because it shapes social harmony for the year.
Overall, the third day is significant for its role in continuing new year celebrations, reinforcing social ties, and connecting people to shared beliefs about the coming year. Its importance comes from tradition and community memory.
Traditions
On the third day many families in Taiwan stay home and avoid receiving guests. People believe this day can bring quarrels, so they keep visits small. Households still light incense and burn joss paper for protection and to honor ancestors.
Food tends to be simple or leftover dishes from earlier feasts. Families share plain rice, vegetable dishes, and sometimes chicken or pork offered earlier as temple or ancestor offerings. Offering fruits and sweets on small home altars is common.
Some brave people visit temples to pray and set off firecrackers to scare away bad spirits. Others practice small rituals like rubbing incense smoke over heads for luck. Overall the day mixes quiet caution with protective rituals.
Travel Tips
Many shops and government offices are closed. Museums and some tourist sites may have limited hours. Trains and buses get very full in morning and evening. Book tickets early, carry cash and an EasyCard, and check official opening times before you go.
Expect crowded temples and fireworks in public places. Keep a safe distance, watch children closely, and follow police directions. Avoid late night scooter trips on busy roads. Charge your phone, have ID, and enjoy quieter parks or guided tours that remain open.