Sharp County record., 1885-08-06

lOOl, anu Viioi Ine hettledm,,
strikes up, which is a sionsI :
cymbals to clash and the Sona S' I
its hoarse cry, while the Sbriii SS . g
may be distinguished in the ' din p
witches voices above the storm nm !
beth.
Worse still follows, when q.
sicians turn from instrumental W. =.
music. and one of them givs, "
solo with that falsetto-piteh NJ
meant to initiate a female yOics
While the crowd of people Ar,
ing the different sights and s@D,]
the pavilionS, inside the tempIe y,
ceremonies are going on. The !.
itself, entirely new, is finely ds',
with both permanent and tem.
ornamentations. Among the s.:
frescoes and wood-carvings aDdf IA
in bas-relief; among the seco,j
nerS, flower baskets and H.,
Buddhist priests are praying nR
in the central hall, while in hs
hall, where the shrine of the cbid
is situated, hocks of worshiper
and fro making offerings of food
ing candles and burning inceDa
is no scene in China more Amin
Everybody who has any religion
comes to worship and ask Som,
of the god, and each person
more or less money with the Keen
the temple. In my native city
similar to this occur two or threa
in the week in different parts
town. OF course the schools sr
open on such festal days, Othev,
tie study could be accom-
SchoolboYs 90 to the shows
evening and girls too, sometns
bv themselves to enjoy the sighb
But there are holidays which
called national, since they are oil.
all over the country.
First and most important are ID
Year holidays, which are celebns
as much eclat as unceaS,ng in
pyrotechnics, calls of ceremm
universal goodwill and Joy will
butte. Debts are paid up at the
the year, and for the first week
little or no business is TRANSACTED
one gives himself up to jolIE
dren on such days are surfet
sweelmeats, and holes are made
holiday clothes by burning fre-M
Largesses are bestowed upon h
dren and servants, while boggrE
also remembered, so that this sci
really the most joyous of the yeg
time when charity is most CHI
and benevolence assumes a M
nevolent aspect.
Next in order of time comes th
of Lanterns. The main feature
fete, as the name implies, is a pro
with lanterns of all shapes and
Soon after nightfall men andboy
line, each carrying upon a bambo
great paper bird, or quadruped,
inside of which candles are lit
tastic shapes sometimes are SEA
mythological books are ransaa
procure strange creatures.
Imagine three or four hundred
lanterns passing before you, all
with rich colors. Sandal-wOod
in censers carried in small
pavilions, while bands of muse
their racket with the appIaua
spectators and the well-wOl
the men in the procession.
Last of all an immense dragl
forty feet in length is borne ao
ported on bamboo poles byaa
twenty men.
There is another proccSslOnsl %
this in the fourth month, only
place in the daytime instead ola
and the large number and Va
lanterns are wanting.
In the fifth month are b
dragon.boat races. These 0o
narrow and LONG, capable OF
about one hundred men sitting
hind the other. Each one
paddle, and the boat is so msl
can 60 Just as well backwarIh
wards. The direction deyoi'
the men in the ends of the
the center the IDOL from who%
district the boat halls sits el
with an immense umbrella o.
to keep the sun from tannlli.
plexion. A band OF musS .I,
panies each boat. by ~
clangor it encourages the raSa t,5
its drum beats the time tor ID,
Banners are given after tns @
spols of victory, to be pl'TT
temple of the patron deity
on the rivers on such an w,
very animated and the cneSn
spectators from the dllleren
attest their interest.
In the eighth month CONES
val of the Moon, answering "a ~
vest festivalin Western coIlnus ",
are called "mOon-cakes a.
this season. If the year n%
ductive there will be a grea., T
joicing. Presents are lu''is t'.,
this time as also at other ls',
sons. As the moon becolnVh5 .hs
fun there appears in it to u.