The Taiwanese have traditions of observing rituals to bring a good harvest or prosperity. A recent activity held in a village in Pingtung was full of these rich traditions. Though it’s not the ghost month, the county holds a festival near the end of each year to appease the ghosts and to pray for a prosperous new year.
Pingtung County has an annual festival to welcome in a new year of prosperity and good weather. It’s a traditional Hakka practice to pay respect to the spirits so they don’t bother the people in the new year.
This year, nearly 500 people attended the festival. Adults and children alike scrambled for the snacks, crackers and balloons laid out on the ground for people to grab and take home with them. There were also candies and lottery tickets for grabs. People were so passionate about the activity that all the goodies were swept up in 10 minutes.
The climax of the festivities was when people were blindfolded while trying to catch ducks or piglets running around them.
The special Hakka festival is a fun way to end the year and to usher in their hopes for an even better new year.