For the first time in a quarter century, Taiwan will mark Christmas as an official public holiday.

The change follows legislation passed earlier this year by opposition parties to add or restore five national holidays, including Constitution Day, which falls on Dec. 25.

The date commemorates the 1947 adoption of the constitution of the Republic of China, the state’s formal name.

For decades, Christmas in Taiwan was informally celebrated on Constitution Day. That practice faded in 2001, when the self-ruled democracy moved toward a five-day workweek and trimmed the list of public holidays.

The choice of Dec. 25 has deep political and historical roots. The date was selected by Chiang Kai-shek, who ruled Taiwan for more than two decades and was a baptized Christian. His mausoleum bears a cross, according to Bloomberg reporting.

In a radio address days before the constitution took effect, Chiang described Christmas in 1947  marking the birth of Jesus  as the moment that would “usher in a new beginning for the Republic of China and all its people; one of unity, independence, equality and freedom.”

At the time, the Kuomintang governed China from Nanjing. Today, the KMT is an opposition party in Taiwan. In backing the holiday legislation, the party said the added days off would help “commemorate the history of national development,” echoing a narrative it often uses to underscore its historical links to China.

As in many parts of the world, Christmas in Taiwan has evolved into a largely cultural and commercial celebration. Friends gather for festive meals, while Taipei’s malls are dressed in holiday lights and familiar Christmas music fills the air.

The additional five days off each year have been widely welcomed by workers across the island of 23 million people.

In 2024, the average Taiwanese worker spent about 2,030 hours on the job, a workload that ranked fourth-highest among 37 major economies, highlighting Taiwan as one of the most work-intensive labor markets in the developed world.