Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1880-11-25
New-Year's Eve IN Chinatown.


New-Year's Eve IN Chinatown.
On the las! evening of the old year
February in the Gregorian call
endar = chinatown" presented a
busy, busting, weird air, which
plainly betokened an impending feast
OF Importance. The sign. boards,
with their curious hieroglyphics--
well adapted for decorative effects
had generally been reprinted and re.
gilded, most of them being draped
With bright scarlet cotton cloth-a
tavorite material for festooning. Red
is the Chinese festal color, and is be.
lieved to be efficacious in keeping
away evil spirits, and it is not unusu.
al to see strands of red silk braided
in children's queues to prevent them
from being cut off by malicious splr.
it's, Many of the shops displayed
within and without sprigs of klnhva,
or "goldsn flowers" which are mere.
ly lunches of brass tinsel wire and
toll twined and cut into fioriated
forms; these are principally used as
Offer ngs before the ancestral tablet
ana 10 the temples. The lintels of
the doors, the windows, and blank
spaces on the walls were already COW
cred with new colored papers, prin.
clpally red aud orange, of various
sizes, on which sentences appropri-
ate TO the season are printed. White
paper denotes that the inmates have
lost a parent during the past year /;
blue or yellow signifies a second
years mourning for father or mother;
the death of grandpsrent is indicat-
cd by dark carnation but the Joyous
red predominated, and mingled with
them were many red and orange pa.
pers stippled with gold. The adver.
tlsement boards were freshly covered
with clean notices printed in the
same style-black characters on red
ground. The writing on the papers
pasted above an1 beside the doors
mainly expressed the hope that the
FIVE blessings in which are summed
up all the elements of human felicity
health, riches, longevity, love of
virtue, and natural death-might
be the portion of the indwellers. The
larger ones contained such sentences
as these "lMay Heaven give happ,
ness p "May l never be without
rich customers !" "Good hope"
"Good will come to US" "Love one
another" "Peace be to those who
come out and 60 in." MAY we new
er be without wisdom |"
Devout Chinese avail themselves
of this season to settle their accounts
with the gods, and the walls of the
halls and staircase of the principal
Joss.house were covered with coll
ored slips of paper, about twelve
inches long by four wide, containing
the names of the donors to the id oils.
Besides these records of generous
fidelity to a national creed, were
scrolls on which were written anti
thetical sentences referring to the at
tributes of some favorite god. Orna-
mental tablets of wood are also pre-
sented by admiring votaries, and hang
from the ceilings or against the walls
of the temples.
Gorgeous lanterns were suspended
in front of doors or hung in rows
from the numerous balconies. The
flags of the Consulate, of the Six
Companies, of the several temples,
ETC., futtered in the breeze, and the
occasional crackle, crackle, of fire.
crackers gave warning of the coming
=bedlam at midnight, when gopgs,
tom toms (drums), bombs, ard un,
limited quantities of fire. crackers
were to mite 10 driving away all evil
spirits from the birth of the new year
the 9th of Owong See. At nearly
every window was to be seen a dish
of the fsvorite Chinese lily, the mar.
cissus, in full bloom. TRs shops dis.
played tables covered with them to
tempt tardy purchasers, and the
streets were crowded with "Celes-
tials," some carrying New.Year's
offering to friend or master, others
Fastening to make final household In
vestments before tho shops closed
not to re open until the first three
days of the holiday season were
passed.
Ghmpses into interiors and down
easements revealed strange sights.
The whole population appeared to
have submitted its head to the razor,
and an unprejudiced observer, noting
the conformation of the various Chi
nese foreheads, could not but be i'm
pressed by the chronological indica-
tions, suggesting at least an average
intelligence. New clothes were be
ing extensively donned those who
cannot afford to purchase a suit at
this season borrow for the occasion
Clean white stocking-leggings caught
the eye below each blue blouse, and
silk and satin had replaced the ordi.
nary cloth or cotton sttire of many a
worthy merchant. A faYorits New.
Years present amongst the lower
classes is pair of shoes. But the
most momentous business of the
hour was the settling OF accounts.
All debts must be cancelled before
the new year. and this universal obi
gatory custom-not lsw-has mani
fest advantages. The span. ppan, or
counting board, and brush pencils,
were not at rest for an instant, and
il was far into the small hours of the
night before many merchants left
their desks. Before midnight feast
took place in each household, when