Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1888-03-16
CHINESE NEW YEAR.
SINGULAR WAYS IN WHICH THE
ORIENTALS OBSERVE IT.

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SINGULAR WAYS IN WHICH THE
ORiENTALS OBSERVE 1T.
Celebrated as a Movable Feast-Last Days
of the Old Year in CHINA Universal
J.. House Cleaning-Salvos of Firecrackers.
!. Dragons.
i The Chinese date their year from the first
new moon after the sun enters Aquarius, con-
sequently it is movable feast, varying be-
tween Jan. q and Feb. 49, Their months
are lunar months, some called great" con-
tanning thirty days, the others 'small, hay
ing only Twenty-Five days; some years, there
fore, there are thirteen months to the year,
one of them being an intercalary. The first
and fifteenth of every month or "moon'
comedies with the new and full of every
moon, and they are always celebrated as
feast days, but the New Year is regular
Bacchanalia, in that for days before and for
most of the following months they give them
selves to rejoicing and feasting.
During the last days of the old year, the
scene in large city like Canton is one of in
tensest interest to foreigner. The merchants
hurry hither and thither, collecting and pay
ing debts, for all accounts must be satisfac-
tcrily adjusted OF else the business cannot be
carried into the next year. The streets are
thronged with purchasers. Not only are the
business parts of town alive with thronging
multitudes during the day; but, at night,
instead of being decorously closed by
o'clock, the late pedestrian will find scene
of apparent chaos similar to that which is
known here as the symptoms Of the house
cleaning time. The store is deluged with
water, the walls being washed and 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, and then the walls are redecorated
new charms and gods are pasted up over the
doorway are placed new inscriptions, as:
MAY the five blessings descend on this door,"
''With d principal of one may have gain
of thousand" and inside, on the wall oppo-
site the door, so that it may be the first object
on which the eye of the visitor rests, is
large character meaning "Happiness," and
other smaller inscriptions such as: peace to
him who enters or 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 pos
sessed are brought out and displayed on
tables, embroidered covers are placed on the
chairs and stands, and the whole house is 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 in Chinatown. 1t is desirable that they
should bloom on New Years day, and the
more flowers on the plant the better will be
the fortune of that family during the year to
come
Up to midnight on New Years eve con-
tinues the excitement, and then, as if by
magic the noise and turmoil ceases, and the
day dawns on city as quiet as country
village on Sabbath But it 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,
first with intervals between, but as the city
gradually awakens, there is one incessant
roar for the greater part Of the morning.
Some streets are fairly carpeted with the
debris, and the smoke and smell of the fire
cracker is everywhere. Later on in the dav
the people begin to swarm out in their holt
day attire, 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 package of firecrackers,
which they burn with careless Indifference
to the comfort of the passerby. When friend
meets friend low salaam is made, each one
shaking his own hand and saying, ''Kung
hair (''I respectfully wish you jov!'0
By noon the streets are filled with
callers, in fact we have to trace our custom
OF calling farther back than to our Dutch an
cestors, for it has been in vogue in China for
ages The time of calling is not limited to
one day, but any time during the month will
do, except from an inferior to a superior
Cards are always used, and large and red,
with the name in large black letters, Pres
ents are exchanged, a favorite gift being a
small species of orange, whose name, ''kut,"
is similar in sound to 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 to the profu-
sion of sweetmeats with which the reception
tables are covered
At intervals during the day noise of rev.
elry and shouting is heard, accompanied by
the clangor of 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-
cession by band of men. Its approach is
the signal for an unlimited consumption of
firecrackers, the dragon being caused to
writhe 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
the street is supposed to drive off the evil
spirits. All during the day these dragons
and their followers are to be met with, es-
pecially in the streets given up to dwellings,
The evening is spent in feasting. The shops
are Shut up for the whole day, and many Of
them, who can afford it, for several days.
j. Stewart Happier in New York Commercial
Advertiser.