Sat, Dec 21, 2002 - Page 16 News List

A very unmerry Constitution Day

A holiday in Taiwan for nearly 40 years, Dec. 25, or Constitution Day, is now an ordinary day at the office for the nation's workforce

By David Momphard  /  STAFF REPORTER

Lee has no room to complain, though. The Executive Yuan approved a bill in September that granted the nation's Aborigines a holiday of their own each year out of respect for their various tribal beliefs. The day will be in addition to an already established holiday, Aug. 1 or Aboriginal Day, commemorating the date in 1994 when all references to in the Constitution to the island's indigenous groups were changed from the pejorative shan bao (山胞), meaning "mountain compatriots," to yuan chu min (原主民), or "Aborigines." Each of Taiwan's 10 officially recognized tribes must decide for themselves which day to take off.

"Maybe I and the rest of the Atayals will get together and decide to take off Christmas Day," Lee said. "We're all Presbyterians, anyway."

This story has been viewed 2102 times.
TOP top