The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1869-12-03
From the Editor.
.fer0ss the Continent,

SAN FRlScIsco. Nov, 1859.
The Chinaman who comes to our shores and
the chap who stays at home. are necessarily
obliged to preserve their customs with more or
less variations, and while custom with him is
law, he yields some Of them gracefully. lhave
seen il stated that he is 50 bigOted that he will
stick 10 his wooden shoes even, considering what
ever is custom in China rs sacred. This Is an
error. No Chinese in California, unless old
men, wear a beard, not because they might not
il they would, but because II is not the fashion
in China. Nearly all wear their peculiar slip
pers (Only the very poorest wear 'SoodsH so'es),
because they are very soft for their feet and pro-
tect the bottoms; but In the mines, or wherever
Il Is necessary, as in SHOWS, he wears good cow
hide boots like gentleman. lie also throws
aside his bamboo hat and gets felt hat, and
by other acts shows the error Of the above state
ment
The number Of Chinese holidays is infinite,
but there are few which are universally and at
stated times observed. Moving into new
house, putting mp new sign, birthdays, saints
days, birthdays Of the gods, season Of harvest
moon, birthdays Of deceased ancestors, vernal
and autumnal equinoxes, winter and summer
solstices, SC. SC. &C.. are noted by them usual
" and in some way more or less observed. But
il woull hardly be fair to coll such, and 50
many, holidays; for In our dialect the whole
race must be idle in order to observe them, and
John is too Industrious to waste much time
when he might be at work. AT these times the
beads Of more chickens tumble of, and their
c,skle has more Of an apprehensire sound; for
well may they know that their tenure Of life is
more precarious at these seasons. II John is
only labOrer and can afford IL, he eats a little
more chicken during holidays than at other
times.
But there are other days more generally OBJ
served, such as all souls day, or the day on
which feasts are spread and other offerings pre-.
pared Cor departed spirits who have no surviv-
ing relatives or friends, feast Of lanterns, festi-
val of the dragon-boats. the season for Ete-iy-
ing, and others. In the old country these are
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