Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1888-02-11
A LAND OF FESTW ITIE>.
WERRY MAKING IN SIAM HOME
OF THE WHITE ELEPHANT
Celebrating the Religious New Year
in Recommendations and Cu
riouS Customs OF the People

elephant are PIE emincntIy race Of
holiday keepers, says the New York
loa.s..t ,aI id. ii tSr
( And not content with innume.able
telIgious anI civic festivals Throughout
tfe year. they mus, have, not one, htr
two New lelr'> DAYS ono the begin
ming of the civil. the other tic begin
Ming oi the religious year, caeh If which
j. celrhfatco with great omp and with
a tota surrender ot business .or pleasure
for period q from four 70 eight DAYS
They have two cras. thu religious and
tl- civil. the attcr dating from tine
ascension 10 the throne Of renowned
monarch. named ~omdctth Para Eooang
eX'ctly l,2li years ago. They also have
two cycles. one within the other, the
greater being twelve wears II duration
and the lesser ten Each year III each
cycle has its own specific name, such as
the veil Of the lat, Cow, Tiger, Rabbit
Great Dragon, Lesser Oregon. Horse,
coat. Monkey, Cock, Dog and Hog
The -;iamcse :, hoola Sakarat, or re
ligious New Year, generally falls on the
day after the trst fall noon in the month
of March. The Bramin aStrolo@er, whose
sole duty il j, to point out the aspect Of
proaching full moon by setting in motion
alb the inuttudinouS gongs and temple
bells in the city far and near The pco-
pie who are always ready, waiting for
this signal have generally finished their
business for the year; debts have been
paid of, accounts closed, merchandise
disposed of, and AL actual traffic Of buy
ing and selling suspended three days
previous to the expected event The m
nounteEent mad@ by the many ongucd
/ instruments is received hy the vast poI,n
/ lation that inhahts the valley watcrcd
4 bv the beautiful Nenam rive; with fear
/ and trembling, for The. trmlv believe
| that this is the Wit hiu- hour Nh,u In"
very atmosphere al the world is alive
with GODS, demons -enIi ard hoh@ob
! Inns, and forthwith the anxious and 81
/ ncrstilious pcop.e Il sten to Illustrate
their evil designs They bind unNpun
! cotton thread conSecr3tcd BY the priest.
round their doors and windows, as the
sacred thread IS supposed 10 prove an
cffectual larrier in keeping out the
malicious spirits Th;s done they place
by the doors Of their houses and huts u
platter containing pig head and q
bottle Of arrack ~ a=coacillatory repast
for the wondering n ots hat may -,ic
sire TO rcg4le themselves during the
night; after which thg "Do!e city, .l,c
the snail, draws in it, i.o'ns ind no con
siderat;oA Will tempt mortal sou to
ventnlt out oi il l.nti. ,r.ar Il Il t
morning
,,l.',eah..I,} lL.., II
e.n,l.. ,,o,f,,n,e0 ta,,..r .,. ra....!
:; < for rtLc,.,air,s.r, 40 49,
,a,'l =, -, ~, -. ,'a,,,,...n, ~
sa''a.I ,,,@na a,.d ra,.,.l ,,.r.l ..I
tra,, s,,,sa. ,,nt;I aa,,n t.,,,.il nj
,t;,,,o,,. ..,nranaa;,, -. r....n
~ tto for,s - ,ha e,,- ;, ,a... l.. ,.,iI
.;,;.e tf,.+ ;,.fn.t IL.
p,, .lra..lr,,} ,;.,E,. -,
80 .Irra, .tn;,la, ,,h,l;,7.', ,,.,I !
long drawn sigh of relief, prep g !"
welcome the ne" year Dic->'-t IN
many y-colorcd ellNS, thy repair it.sf 10
the temples to offer pfai,r and thank :
giving for Their dollN"iane" and tor axe
handsome gifts 10 tie lrte-t~, "nd not
until they have proplriatcd i.Hdaha an(i
Buddha' carthif repre- sentative, ~ fhcy
think Of thcr o"n merrynanlng
NOW tat iotiddN II - al. a'i'i i''i
days every one surrender himself oI
herself to dancing, singing, ircqn"atlne
the theatre and otncr pubIc pace. "i
aHuscmcn's, ana = every clvahi'
Kind Of out-"i-'io"r sports Boat 'acin-
Is iavorIte amusement at al iiHe,- hne
at the Ne" Year FESTIVITIES 'he cf'a
race, o. the year arc won and lost
lhelr racing boats are i"nI. l@ht oanoc-
anu manned ~ from ili'yto 100 faddl,,
they ~ shfon@h 'he "i'eT Win lnafeai
bic sleea. ny h}-hf 'h' river. upo!
and III when 'he ma ."fi'E = thclil'abif
ants ol INC can.'aI sl'ead me &c ts'f par
ol theIr 'ilhc' y "h' iH.-> ilff ~
psfetef hn.c 'iisp.aS "h ~" Nci.tia f5Ve
Al Inc @'a''''1t -" 'aF '.''lt - I
lFohdoiE "ht4Idl''' i-if "'fi.t 'E'I
SNAKES, dragons. fi,h u aii >,-hiri
AMI Lca..s a~i mi ani,rs.c e-,..,rce ,r,
,a4ant1ctn~ad H. IN liver n.onIe an,
= ~ ! bill5-,, ttreue,h !. II. v.t., tc,e.n.
: only trail Of light t.chied vhie III