We’re over the hump now, but for a few days this past week, Taipei almost completely shut down for Chinese New Year.
I missed Santa’s day in the States, but Taiwan’s full-on equivalent more than made up for the loss. With Taipei hollowed out as families gather to feast, Chinese New Year probably even upstages American Christmas in sheer scale: cash gifts to children, firecrackers at ungodly hours of the night, stuffing your face past reason, and smoke filling the air as hell money burns.
I’ve never celebrated the holiday in its native land (or as a grown-up) before, so I had the second pleasure of seeking out for the first time an appropriate food gift for my family. There was no shortage of places to go.
Even convenience stores like 7-Eleven got in on the act, piling gift boxes at store entrances: chocolate, mochi, Hello Kitty treats, everything imaginable – though I don’t know who would have had the nerve to buy their family a Chinese New Year gift box at 7-Eleven.
Days after the big day, most 7s are still overstocked with stacks of gift boxes.
The city’s gradually waking from its slumber now, but with Lantern Festival on the horizon, there’s happily more to come.
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