Story perspectives

Santa Flies Over Taiwan: Festive Celebrations and Culinary Delights

12/25/2025

Center

Santa Monitors Taiwan

Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense reported that Santa Claus flew over Taiwan on Christmas Eve, monitored by NORAD.
The 70-year tradition aims to ensure festive safety.
Many Taiwanese celebrated the Winter Solstice with tangyuan, which symbolize good fortune, though nutritionists warned about their calorie density.
Wildwood in Taipei's Xinyi District unveiled Christmas and New Year's Eve menus featuring wood-fire cooking techniques, with the New Year's Eve event nearly sold out.

Right

KMT Restores Christmas

Taiwan will observe Christmas as a public holiday for the first time in 25 years after a 2025 law passed by opposition parties restoring five holidays.
The law includes Constitution Day on December 25, commemorating the 1947 adoption of the Republic of China's constitution.
The Kuomintang (KMT), the opposition, aims to highlight its historical ties to China through this legislation.
Workers welcomed the added holidays, with 2024 average hours at 2,030.

Left

Taiwan Celebrates Christmas

Taiwan lit the 28-meter-tall 'Christmas Trees above the Clouds' in Lishan on December 21, 2025, during a concert featuring local artists.
The lighting is part of the 2025 Lishan-Guguan Light Art Festival, running to January 25, 2026.
The festival includes hot springs and scenic walkways.
Taiwan observes Christmas as a public holiday for the first time in 25 years.

History

Historical Context

The Republic of China adopted its constitution on December 25, 1947, amid the Chinese Civil War, aiming to unify the nation under the Kuomintang. However, the constitution was largely ineffective due to ongoing conflict and martial law, which lasted until 1987. The recent restoration of Christmas as a public holiday in Taiwan reflects a cultural reconnection and the evolving political identity shaped by this historical backdrop.

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Santa Monitors Taiwan

Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense reported that Santa Claus flew over Taiwan on Christmas Eve, monitored by NORAD.
The 70-year tradition aims to ensure festive safety.
Many Taiwanese celebrated the Winter Solstice with tangyuan, which symbolize good fortune, though nutritionists warned about their calorie density.
Wildwood in Taipei's Xinyi District unveiled Christmas and New Year's Eve menus featuring wood-fire cooking techniques, with the New Year's Eve event nearly sold out.

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