Taiwanese loves fire work

In the United States, fire work is allowed only on the US national day, or July 4. The police can fine a person lighting up a fire work illegally on the street.

In 2007, Meeilei and I were in Mexico. We both found that Mexican loves fire work much more than the Americans. Three days out of seven when we were in Mexico, Mexicans did spectacular fire works.

If you say the number of fire works in Mexico is three times as much as in the United States, then the number of fire works is Taiwan will be 5 times as much as those in Mexico; and would be 15 times as much as those in the United States. Taiwanese will find any occasion to celebrate with the fire works. Fire work on Lunar monthly first and Lunar monthly 15th day that are slated for gods' offering days. Lunar monthly 2nd day is slated for the Earth God, or Tu-Ti-Kon 土地公. Of course there are no violation of the law if you choose to celebrate Tu-Ti-Kon's 土地公offering day with the firework.

The biggest occasion for Taiwanese to celebrate with fire work is the month of goddess Ma-Ju's 媽祖 birthday (Lunar March 23). This year, hundred of thousands worshippers started their pilgrim journey from Ta-Jau township 大甲镇 of the Taichung county on March 23. The worshippers walked or biked with a whole journey of 323 km to Hsing-Kan 新港 of Yun-Lin 雲林County. On March 28 when I was in Chang-Hua, the pilgrim crowds were in Chang-Hua and in the evening, the whole Chang-Hua city became a fire work city; it was literally all night celebration: Forget about sleep. Mother would tell her kids that it is a celebration of Ma-Ju 媽祖; on this day, sleep can take a second priority.

Photo was download from a web site

http://blog.yam.com/meson/article/20103625 describing the celebration of Ma-Ju's 媽祖pilgrim at Ta-Ja township 大甲镇 in 2008.