Telegram-herald. ([Grand Rapids, Mich.) 18??-1892, 1888-03-04
CHINESE NEW YEAR
WAYS \ wtacH II S ossgsvE0.
Ssisor.esd y hovsbIs FsAst-fsst Days
81 tAs ota fs-x - chts.-s tai
ssrs.i aosss ctssafsg -ssisSs
81 Ffrser@C ksrs-D -4soes.

Tbs chizs.e dass tasir ysAr froHa the erss
ns" saeon zftsr t1s ssla eaters Aqasr.us caa-
seQ8eatlf Il u a mos2sis feast. vsrying 10
tweea Jas. q and PED. - Tbsir m0afhs
az h1a4T months. some called "great, con
taini8g tnLrty dzys. she osEsrs ''ssasll, has-
ins oniy t~eaty-anae days; sonas years, there
ioFs. ts~Fs are thirtsen moutas - tbs year.
Gus Of thsnl belas al integcslary. Tie FIRST
snd fifteenth q every month ~ ~moonA
eoigeides with TIE u<w and fuii q every
nsoons and teey are always celebrated as
feast days, b0t the New Year Is regnlsr
bscehanAha. ia that fof days before and FOR
nl<ss u tAs following months tkey give them
selves % reisiclng and fsastiaS.
DuTinE the last days q tbs old year, tie
scene IN 4 izr.s city Ike Cantoa is one OF "a
tsnsess interest % foreigner. ThsmerchAnts
hurry hitaer and thItheT. collecting ard pay
iug deot-s Tor al accounts must DO satisfac-
torily adjusted or els the business cannot be
carried into the next Year The streets are
thronged with purchasers. Not only are the
business parts u town alive with throng!nr
mnltltodes during the day but, at night,
instead OF being decorously closed by Q
o'clock, tho late pedestrian will find a scene
Of apparent chaos similar 20 that which IS
known here as ths symptoms OF the house.
cleaning time. fhs store Is deluged with
water, the walls being washed aud scrubbed.
the ornamental scrolls and paper charms for
good luck are torn down, and the tiled floor
Is scrubbed scrupulously clean for once in
the year, aud then the walls are reiecorated.
new charms and gods are pasted up, over the
doorway arc placed new inscriptions. as:
Nay the fye blessings descend on this door,
with principal OF one may have a gain
OF a thousand" and inside, on the wall oppo-
site the door, so that IL may be the frs. object
on which the eye Of tho visitor rests. Is a
large character meaning "Happiness," and
other smaller inscriptions such as: peace 10
him who enters OF departs
In private houses the same cleaning pro-
Cess goes on, and after all the dirt OF the year
is removed, the finest ornaments that are DOS
sessed are brought out and displayed on
tables, embroidered covers are placed on the
chairs and stands, and the whole house il put
IN holiday attire One great feature OF the
decoration Of both houses and Offices. Is the
display OF Chinese 'lilies." such as are for
sale IA Chinatown. IL is desirable that they
should bloom on New Years day. and the
mare aowers on the plant the better will be
the fortune OF that family during the year 10
come.
Up TO midnight on New Years eve con-
tnues the excitement, and then, as IL BY
magic the noise and turmoil ceases. and the
day daw.is on a city as quiet as country
village on a Sabbath. But il does not last
long, for in Chinese religion worship is al
ways accompanied by noise, and the morning
sleep IS soon broken by salvos of firecrackers.
hrst with intervals between, bat as the city
gradually awakens, there is one incessant
roar Tor the greater part OF the morning.
Some streets are fairly carpeted with tho
debris, and the smoke and smell Of the fire
cracker is everywhere. Later on in the day
the people begin 10 swarm out in their holt
day attire, gay m their robes of blue and
lavender; little boys and girls with new red
cords braided in their cues. and most of
the boys with package Of frecrackers.
which they burn with a careless indifference
TO the comfort Of the passerby. When friend
meets friend n low salaam is made. each ono
shaking his own hand and saying, "Kunc
Aai' cI respectfully wish you iovr1
by noon the streets are filed with
callers. in fact we have TO trace our custom
OF calling farther back than TO our Dutch an
cestors, for ii has been in vogue in China for
ages. The time of calling is not limited to
ono day, but any time during the month will
do, except from an infericr to a superior.
Cards are always used, and large and red,
with the name in largo black letters, Pres
ents are exchanged, favorite gift being n
small species OF orange, whose name. ''kut,n
Is similar in sound 70 the word for good luck
Every one keeps open house; the visitor is
first given cup Of tea, in which is an
almond or olive as a symbol OF good luck. and
then is invited TO help himself 10 the profu-
sion OF sreetrneats with which the reception
tables ara covered
At intervals during the day noise Of rev.
elry and shouting is heard, accompanied by
the clangor OF a band, In which the principal
part Is played By the gong and drum, and
large dragon, made Of bamboo, and covered
with gayly painted paper, is carried in pro-
ccssion by q band of men. Its approach is
the signal for an unlimited consumption OF
hrecrackers, the dragon being caused TO
writho and duck it's head into the smoke.
and tbs men collecting money from tho
houses in the street The dragon il the pa
tron saint OF China, and his passage through
the street is supposed 10 drive of the evil
spirits. All during the day these dragons
and their followers are to be met with. e.
pecially IN the streets given up n dwellings.
Tho evening is spent in fcasting The shops
arc shut up for the whole day, and many OF
them, who can afford it. for several days
j. Stewart Happer in New York Commercial
Advertiser.