The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1879-01-16
HOW THE CHINESE MARK TIME.
Some Very Curious Excerpts from the
Latest Oficial Almanac.

some Very Curious Excerpts from the
Latest Omcial Almanac.
The Chinese official Almanac is is.
sued annually in December, and is care.
fully prepared by the board OF astrono.
my, an important body, imperially ap-
pointed, presided over by a prince OF
the royal blood, and equal in dignity to
any other government body in the EN-.
pire. The almanac is bestowed as a
special act OF grace by the emperor on
the Coreans, Loochooans, Annamites
and other tributary states. As this
publication is 30 highly respected by
the Chinese, it may fairly be considered
as the representative of the highest
state OF astronomical science reached by
them. A large part of the astrological
portion of the almanac is intended for q
".practical guide in the common affairs
of life." A translation is given of the
admonitions for the first days of the
current year, as follows
The first day is favorable for sacrifice
and for entering school at noon it is
allowable to bathe. 1t is unfavorable
for starting on journey or exchanging
residence.
The second day is favorable for sacri-
fee and bathing. 1t is unfavorable for
starting on a journey, removing or
practicing acupuncture.
The third day : there are no indica-
tions.
The fourth day may receive or make
visits and cut out clothes; at seven
A. NJ. may draw up contracts, barter
and make presents. May not go on q
journey or break ground.
The fifth day may visit, bathe, shave
and clean up may not plant and SOW.
The sixth is favorable for sacrifice,
visiting, taking on new servant, start
ing on journey, removing, marrying, re-
pairing, breaking ground; at three A. NJ.
may draw up contracts, open shop, barter,
send presents, seal, test the soil and
bury.
The seventh day: may level roads,
but must not start on journey.
The eighth may sacrifice, memorial
ize, enter Office, assume ceremonial
clothes at five A. NJ. may sit toward the
southeast also favorable for conjugal
union, visits, weddings, taking on new
servant, starting on journey, erecting
uprights and putting on crossbeams,
building, removing soil and burying.
The writer gives few more items and
comments as follows:
And 80 it goes on for nearly every day
in the year. Enough has been trans
lated to show the excessive childishness
and absurdity of this, the principal part
of the imperial almanac. On the seven
teentb one may be treated for illness
and open caches of provision. On the
twenty.third it is allowable to pull down
old houses and walls but drains must
not be opened or wells dug until the
twenty-seventh. Arrests should be made
on the fifteenth this is the only favor
able day in the month--a very satisfac.
tory arrangement for criminals. There
are four days in thirty on which one
may cut out clothes, and the same num-
Der on which one may sweep and clean
up. 1t is advised to shave on the fifth,
twenth-t third and twenty. ninth, and to
bathe seven times in the month. Un-
fortunately, the intervals between the
bath days are unequal, and the believer
in the almanac must wait from the fifth
to the thirteenth and from the fourteenth
to the twenty.third. Besides, on the
first, bathing is favorable at an incon-
venient hour-viz., noon the hour on
the twenty.ninth give o'clock) is much
better.
These indications seem too silly to al
feet sensible men, yet while the China
man is not only sensible, but actually
shrewd and keen, he guides most OF his
more important affairs by the almanac.
The poorer classes watch the almanac
carefully, and marry, bury and do other
things only when it advises, and it is to
be feared that the better educated do
not start on journey nor enter Office
except on favorable days, though it is to
be hoped they bathe, shave and clean
much oftener. Journal.