The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1870-12-15
Tile Chinese New Year.

Oh IlS Oll year Will ID buOuG, uilIl ClOJu-
ed themselves in the new with their
change of garments. Preparations 60
on for FIVE days before, but evidences of
the approach of this chief festival appear
some weeks previous. The principal
streets are lined with tables, upon which
articles of dress, furniture and fancy toys
are disposed for sale. You see monster
frogs in colored paper, horses. birds, croc-
odlles, some of them showing consider
able artistic design. The expense incur
red is considerable, and often curious
relics are brought forth to turn into
money. Superiors give presents to their
servants and dependents, and shop-keep-
ers send an acknowledgment of tavors to
their customers. We received sugar
candy and sweetmeats. One of the most
common gifts Of the lower order is pair
Of slippers.
Among the stands for presents, are
other tables at which persons are seated,
provided with pencils and gilt red paper
of various sizes, on which they write ap-
propriate sentences for the season, to be
posted on doorposts and lintels of dwell
ings and shops, or suspended from the
halls; to which shall presently refer.
Small strips of red and gilt paper,
some bearing the word .tdh (happiness) +;
large and small red candles gaily paint
ed, and other things used in their wor-
ship, are likewise sold in stalls and
shops. AS if to wash away all the un-
cleanliness of the past year, water is ap-
piled profusely to every thing in the
house.
But still more praiseworthy custom
is that OF settling accounts and paying
debts The shopkeepers wait upon their
customers, creditors and debtors, to set
tie matters. No debt is allowed to over
pass the next new year without settle
ment or arrangement of some sort, if it
can be avoided. Many wind up by
bankruptcy, and the general consequence
of this great payday is scarcity OF
money, resort to the ptwnbrokers and
low price of all kinds of goods and arti-
cles.
AS the old year departs, all the ac-
count books i'll Chinese shops are burn
ed. Devout persons, of whom there are
but few, also settle with their gods, and
during a few days before the new year
the temples are usually thronged by de-
voices, both male and female, rich and
poor. Some fast and engage priests to
pray for them, that their sins may be
pardoned, while they PROSTATE them
selves before the images, amidst the din
OF gongs, drums, and bells, and thus clear
off the old score. Crackers are fired
off to drive away evil spirits, and the
worship of their ancestors, as usual,
takes the precedence.
On New Years Eve the streets are full
of people, all hurry ing to and fro to
conclude any business still left undone,
Some are busy pasting the five papers
upon their lintels, signifying their de-
sire that the five great blessings which
constitute human happiness may be
theirs-namely, long lite, riches, health,
love of virtue, and natural death.
Above these are pasted sentences like
these: May the five blessings descend
upon this door" Or, "May rich custom
ers ever enter this door," Or, "May
Heaven confer happiness" The door
posts of Others are adorned with plain,
or gilt and red paper.
In the halls are suspended scrolls,
more or less costly, containing antithet-
ic ii sentences carefully chosen. A lit
lOT lHSIdHCc, WOul(l nave
distiches like the following:
"May be so learned as to secrete in
my mind three myriads of volumes"
May know the affiirs of the world
for six thousand years."
Other professions and tastes would
exhibit sentences of different charac-
ter.
Boat people are peculiarly liberal of
their paper prayers, pasting them on
every board and oar in their boats, and
suspending them from the stern in
scores, making the vessel tiutter with
gayety. The farmers paste them on
their barns, trees, baskets, and imple-
ments, as if nothing should remain with
out blessing. The house is neat and
clean to the highest degree, aud puri-
fled more than seven times by religious
ceremonies or lustrations, firing of
crackers-the last of which being meant
as already named, for the expulsion OF
evil spirits.
The stiffness of the streets and closed
shops on New Years morning is strik-
ing. The red papers ON the doors have
been removed. You now read sentences
like these:
Yesterday, in the third watch, the
old year passed; to-day, with music and
drums, the new year begins" Or, "Looh
where you will you witness festival ar.
ray; everywhere there is bowing and
salutation." Or, "Heaven grows il
years, man grows in age" Or, "SpIing
fills the wAole world, and fortune the
house."
These gay papers are interspersed with
blue ones, announcing that during the
past year death has come among the in
mates of the house, silent admonitioI
to the passers-by. In some places white
yellow and carna6on-colored papers are
employed with the blue, to designate the
degree of deceased kindred. Etiquette
requires the mourneis to remain within
DOORS
In few hours the streets begin to b(
filled with well-dressed persons, hasten
ing in sedans or on foot, or here anC
there in carriages, to make their calls
Those who cannot afford to buy new
suit, hire one for the occasion so that
Chinese master hardly knows his owl
servants i'll their fnery. Much of tn,
visiting, however, is done by card, OF
which is stamped an emblematic device
representing the three happy wishes
for children, for rank, and for lon,
life.
Towards evening the crowds are s.
dense that it is with difficulty YOU Cal