孔子的一生 The Life of Confucius

About Teachers’ Day

In many countries, Teachers’Day is a special day for the appreciation of teachers, and may include celebrations to honor them for their special contributions in a particular field area, or the community in general. The date on which Teachers’ Day is celebrated varies from country to country. Teachers’ days in different countries are distinct from World Teachers’ Day, which is celebrated on 5 October.

In Taiwan, we celebrate Teachers’day in September 28^th. Taiwan uses this day to honor teachers’ contributions to their own students and to society in general. People often make use of the day to express their gratitude to their teachers, such as paying them a visit or sending them a card. This date was chosen to commemorate the birth of Confucius, believed to be the model master educator in ancient China. In 1939, the Ministry of Education established the national holiday as 27 August, the attributed birthday of Confucius.

In 1952, the Executive Yuan changed it to September, stating that it was calculated to be the precise date in the Gregorian calendar. The festival celebration occurs in the temples of Confucius around the island, known as the “Grand Ceremony Dedicated to Confucius” (祭孔大典). The ceremony begins at 6am with drum beats. 54 musicians are dressed in robes with blue belts, and 36 (or 64) dancers dressed in yellow with green belts. They are led by Confucius’s chief descendant (currently Kung Tsui-chang) and followed by ceremonial officers. Three animals: cow, goat and pig are sacrificed. The hairs plucked from these sacrificed animals are called the Hairs of Wisdom. In addition, local education institutes and civil offices award certain teachers for their excellence and positive influence.

Resource:

http://img02.taobaocdn.com/bao/uploaded/i2/17856018706972645/T14FgpXbtdXXXXXXXX_!!0-item_pic.jpg

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teachers%27Day

中秋節 The Mid-Autumn Festival   9/27/2015

農曆的八月十五日是月亮最圓的日子。相傳嫦娥是在這一天飛升到月亮成仙，所以家家戶戶準備祭品祭拜，祈求月神帶來好運。月餅和柚子是配合這個節日的食品。

August 15th in the Lunar Calendar is the day of the roundest full moon. It is said that Chang-E flew to the moon and became an immortal on that day, so every household prepares a sacrificial offering to pray to the goddess of the moon for good fortune. Moon cakes and pomelos are the representative foods for this festival.

Resources:

http://www.tcis.ac.th/sites/default/files/newspics/61579_1564737928166_1526930116_1419976_7057977_n.jpg

http://huayu.knsh.com.tw/Documents/traditional/A_8.pdf

僑教雙週刊-月圓人團圓-中秋節