Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-01-06
A Chinese New Year.

Oh. H" in st. Nicholas
The Chinese new years day in 1882 fell on the
18th of February. They have week of holt
days at their new year, inst as we do between
the 25th OF December and the LIST of January
In the cities they make fine display of fire.
works. but none of the Chinese people in Santa
Barbara are rich. so there were no fireworks
except crackers; but there were barrels and
barrels full Of these, and the Chinese boys do
not tire of crackers on their new years day as
American boys do. cracker at time, or one
package at time; they bring out large box
f,lil or barrel full, and fire them off, package
after package, as fast as they can till the air is
as full OF smoke as il there were fire, and the
ground is covered with red, half-burned ends
Long before we reached the part OF the town
where most OF the Chinese live. we heard the
noise of the crackers going off; but the Chinese
did not seem to mind it at ALL They were hop
ping about IN the smoke, pouring the crackers
out on the ground, box after box. barrel after
barrel. You could not see their faces clearly for
the smoke. Groups Of American boys stood as
near as they dared, looking on. Now and then
one would dart in and snatch up one cracker, or
string of them, which had not gone Off
| thought the American boys had almost as
much fun out of it as the Chinese. Every Chi
nese family keeps open house on New Years
day. They set up picture or an image of their
goa Ill some prominent place. and on table in
front OF this they put little feast of good things
to eat. Some are for an Offering to the god,
and some are for their friends who call 1t was
amusing to watch the American boys darling
about from shop to shop and house to house
coming out with their hands full of queer Chi
nese things to eat showing them to each other
and comparing notes. ooh. let me taste that"
one boy would eXclaim, on seeing some new
thing: and, Where did you get it? Which
house gives that!" Then the whole party would
race off to make a descent on that house. and
get some more. thought it wonderfully hos
pltable on the part Of the Chinese people to let
all these American boys run in and out of their
houses IN that way and help themselves from
the New Years feast Some of the bows were
very rude and li-mannered-little better than
street beggars; but the Chinese were polite and
generous to them all
In some of the stores there were men PLAYING
game which has been played, under different
names, all over the world. 1t consists simply in
one man holding out his hand, with part of the
myers closed and part open, and his antagonist
calling out. instantly, how many of his fingers
are open. One would think nothing could be
easier than this. But when the movements are
made rapidly it is next to impossible to call out
the number quickly without making mistake
For every mistake fine of some sort. according
to the agreement OF the players. is to be paid.
mence that the perspiratiOn stood on their fore
heads. and their shrlll crying out of the num-
bers sounded like unbroken sentences; there
did not seem a breath between Them They
rested their elbows on the table. and with every
opening and closing of the fingers, thrust the
forearm forward to its full length, so there was
violent exercise In 1t.