The Dallas weekly herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1885, 1878-01-05

iftfhtfS W tOeit koJH hud Arie'-eASio-
The tatelar diety Is FIRST honored; then
the spiritual fathers, and lastly the
maternal father, or other ancestors.
The idols are carefully washed and the
women most piously wash the cows
aud adore the baman. Each lady
feeds Brabmin aud invites lady
friend to the house and anoints her
head. New Years gifts are o: flowers.
TRULY CELESTIAL FOR THE MOTHER
IN LAw-THE CHINESE FESTIVAL
occurs when the sun enters the fif.
teenth degree OF Aqusrinus. 1t was
at first only a civil institution, but
time has sdded mystical meaning to
II. Ga New Years eve, the goddess
who causes smallpox, fits around and
little children cheat her into the belief
thst they are ugly, for ugliness is
taiismanic preventive, by covering
their faces with groie-gue marks.
When the children GO to sleep, gourd
Is hung Up above them, into which the
goddess pours the seeds OF the
disease Instead OF into the face OF
the sleeping child. This evening,
too, the Chinese Santa Claus makes
his rounds. On New Years Day, at
four or five ia the morning, the family
Offers sacrifire 20 heaven aud earth I;
a table, with i've or ten buckets of
boiled rice, ten bowls OF Vegetables, ten
cups Of tea and ten OF wine, two red
candles, aud three sticks OF common
aud one of fragrant incense, placed
upon u, y set in the reception hall of
the house; two branches OF cedar and
tea ehop.sticks are placed in the rice;
two sheets of moek.money (goId or
silver are laid over 1t; aud above all
this hsngs an almanac OF the coming
year. Five kinds of dried fruit are
scattered over the rice, and a plate of
ioose-skinDed oranges placed near.
Fire-erackers are then shot off, the
head OF the family kneels down, the
sticks OF Incense are lighted, and the
mock money burned.
Visits are last on the programme and
the husband Is bound to visit his wife's
relatives and make them presents. A
Chinese "caller" before departing is
presented with two or four watermelon
| seeds, done up in red paper.
From the first to the fifteenth,
bands OF music 20 about
playing; children sing songs In
the streets; gambling is prohibited
and many 20 without meat In honor
OF ,he gods. During the first week all
tribunals are closed, and for the first
month the games of the " Dragon"
and the "I.ion and the Ballr are much
Ia vogue, 10 10th of which the Celes.
tial endesvOTs, by means of bamboo
covered with cloth aud lighted by
means Of n candle inside the supposed
BEAST 20 amuse himself and every
body else In rs grotesque a manner AZ
possible.
/ Among the Japanese the erswflsh,
symooiicnl of feeundity, plays an i'm
4 INAN"AN IsAaN III ANtN RlANr,
which generally consists of rice cake
surmOuuted by crawfish. an orange
and artficials. This ID tigurative way
which they have OF wishing happy
New Year--the orange aud cabbage,
IA well the crawfish, being significant
Of present and future prosperity. The
yADs teii-ve that when tRe aiaws Of
TIA. a,h ars asoken or the gov saew.
FAssSKs' MOVING DAY Asu aRoaNoa.
TICS
To Scandinavia knn o.iser conntrlsa,
there Is a Te.puiar ifapres siou t.,st the
iag7,z-i change their places Of s5ode
once every twelve mouths, ana tHz,
the dsy ,elee,ed FOE This pu1ucse IL
she hrst dsy Of the new year Ths
psrsanis arr very careful st this sesaon
not 70 e. ,1i .atUg WHEN may .a zoe
least .igs .n-rss % tho avisit.e 20
H.-' .a Sea- u..ltrsrg ~ ttag5 oE vaI-
#a ..,ts are l.&-1 - .as0u ju order
70 conciiiate heir kindness. Gu New
Years Eve the father will tell his
children 20 keep very quiet, in order
that the fairy people, who are sup
posed to be looking around for good To-
cations, may not be disturbed, or in
any way prejudiced against his house
and lands The Dalkariian tniners
make the gobliBs or fairies presents oi
little red jackets on New ears Eve,
and they do this hy having the gar.
ment hanging upon some projecting
rock over night.
IL Is common saying in many
parts OF England, that sA,,,New Years
tide the days lengthen cocks strike, y
aud that "If the grass grows Ia Jan
ieer, h grows the more fort all this
year" Never allow any one to take
light out Of your house on New Year,
day; II you do, death, so the super
stitious say, will occur In the house be
fore the year ia over. II female i
your first visitant on this day, 1t por
tends i'll fortuse during the rest of th.
year. Never throw ashes, dirty waite
OF any Useless or valJeless article on
OF your house on New Year's; il be
tokens bad luck. But you can brinI
ia ss many honestly gotten goods q
you can procure. 4
No Paper.
To-day being . legal holiday an
|, there being no dispatches, there wi
a. a