The Dickinson press., 1888-04-07
CHINESE NEW YEAR.
SINGULAR WAYS IN WHICH THE
oRIENTALs OBSERVE 1T.

Celebrated as IL Movable Feast-Last Days
"f til" Old Year III China-A Universal
Hous" Clcaning-Salvus of Firccrackcrs.
| Dragons.
Inc Chinese date their year from the first
new in""n after the sun enters Aauarius. con-
sequcnllN il iSa movable feast VARYING he
tween Jan. II and Feb. 10 Their months
are lunar months, some called great con-
tanning thirty days. the Others small, hay
in@ only twcnty ty-nine days: some years, there
lore. thereale thirteen months to the wear,
one ol them being an intercaary The first
ami fifteenth of every month or '.moon'
r"inrltes with the new and full of every
i!'"ii, and they ARE always celebrated as
ir''A days, but the New Year is a regular
l''''"'EIntl, III that for days before and for
'A''' "t tie following months they .;ive them
selves |" rejoicing AMI feastins
During the last DAYS of the old ycor. tb,
sr'n" i'll i; large city like Canton is one of in
.rliN''>t interest t"a foreigner. The merchants
hurry lith1r and thithcr, collecting and pay-
lnS debts. for all accounts must be satisfac-
tollly adjusted or else the business cannot be
carried into the next Year The streets are
thronscd with purchasers. Not only are tho
muItiu'lrS during the day: but, ut night.
instead of heing dcrorouslv closed by 8
O'Clock, the late pedestrian will find a scene
OF apparent chaos similar To- that which is
known her" rs TIL" symptoms of the house
cleaning time. i'hr store is ,l.lurel with
water. thu wall, bciuy washed and scrubbed
th" ornamental scrolls and paper charms for
good luck are torn down, AMI the tiled floor
Is scru''lm'l >rrupul"usly clean for once in
the year. and then the walls are re,lecorated,
new charms and gods are pasted up, over tlIe
doorway are placed new Inscriptions, as:
"AlaN 't" five blessings descend ON this door,
'Wi'h F" principal of one may have gain
"i II 'h'ilN'iil: and inside, on the wall oppo-
>if" ;i''' door. hat it may he the first object
ON "hiri the eye of the visitor rests, is a
lal5r character meaning "llappincss,' and
other smaller inscriptions such as: peace to
hln who enters or DEPARTS
In private houses the same cleaning pro-
cess goes "n, and a'tcrall tho dirt of the wear
Is r'hl"N"'i. the finest ornaments that are Dos
Sc'''d az" brought out and displayed on
tables. "'iii'l'"nl"l''t covers arc placed on tho
chairs AMI stands and the whole house is mt
III h"ii'lai attire. Dnc great feature of the
'''c"rlii"n "i both houses and offices, is the
display "i Z hlrc.c "lilies," such rs are for
Si'lr III hiltitown. 1t is desirable that they
should bloom on New Years day, and tho
NOR" il"""rs on the plant the better will be
ih" fortune of tina, family during the year to
come.
pit" mldngh, on New Years eve con-
tinllc' TN" excitement, and then, as if by
magic Tia" noise and turmoil ceases, and tho
dav dawh- "n Il city as quiet as IL country
Village on II Sabbath But it does not last
long. for in Chinese religion worship is al
ways accompanied 10y noise, and the morning
sleep is s'"'n broken by salvos of iirecrackcrs
FIRST with intervals between, but as the CITY
gradually uwakcus. there is one inces.;,nt
roar for tn" greater part of the morning.
som" street, are fairly car,,ctcd with the
d"i'rl> and the smoke and smell of the fire
cracker is everywhere. Later on in the ,lav
tn people begin tn swarm out in their holi-
day httirc. gay in their robes of blue and
Lavender; little boys and girls with new red
cords braided in their cues, and most Of
the boys with a package of lirccracberS
which they burn with car.i,.,, Indifference,
I" ,l" comfort of ,llo passclhY Whom friend
I meets friend a low Saaan Is made each one
| shaking his "wn hand au,! saving Kun
! ha' ~ respectfully wish SOU io, .,
i'' noon ~" streets are filed with
I 'HtltlN III ldtt ~" nave to trace Olr custom
"l "allinG farther back tlIan to our Dutch an
rcot"rs, fer II lla, been in vogue in China for
os'N I'll" TINE of calling is not limited to
''lp"'iat, but any time during the month will
o except from al inferior to a superior
Cards ar" always used, and large and red,
with the name in large black letters Pres
cnts are exchanged II favorte gift being a.
small species OF orange, whose llane "kut,n
Is similar i'll sound to the word for good luck.
Every one keeps open house; the visitor is
first given II cup of ten, in which is an
almond or olivcts u symbol of good luck, and
then is invited To help himself tn the profu-
sion OF swcetLeats with which the reception
tables are covered
AT intervals during the day n noise of rev.
clry and shouting is heard, accompanied by
the rlangor of band, i'll which the principal
part is played by the gong and drum, and I.
large dragon, made of bamboo, and covered
with Saylv painted paper, is carried in pro-
ce-si"n by n bnnd of men. Its approach is
,h" signal for an unlimited consumption of
lirrrra"kcrs, the dragon being caused to
wIthc and duck its head into the smoke,
and the men collecting money from the
houses in the street. The dragon is the pa
tron saint of China, and his passage through
III" street is supposed to drive oil the evil
spirits, All during the day these dragons
and their followers are to be met with, es-
p"ri''lly in the streets given up to dwellings.
lie evening is spent i'll fcasting. The shops
ar" shut up for the whole day, and many of
'li"in, who can afford it, for several days.
), Stewart flapper i'll New York Commercial