The Arkansaw traveler., 1889-09-14
body, and 1t must indeed be great mark ofrespect | to the holiday If he ever takes bath.

placed about and the little shrine of the household gods (one of which be seen in every Chinaman's house or room all over the world) Is ornamented and huge porcelain dishes placed in front of it. in which, when obtainabe, are placed large citron called by the Celestials "the hand of Buddha" and the flowers of the Narcissus In this country, how ever the citron cannot easily be obtained large orange a shaddock Is used. The bulbs of the narcissus are placed in bowls filled with rounded pebbles and water, and 1t Is known just how long it will take them to grow, they timed so as to l be in bloom exactly at the new year.
 On the first day of the first moon in China every one puts on his best clothes and goes to the tenn ples where friends are met and the compliments of the season exchanged. Visits are paid universally much the same on our New Year, and at every | residence "open house" is kept through the day. Large red tickets of congratulaton are sent to all friends, and one is left at and another taken from each place visited. As rule, these consist of obong strips of paper folded certain way, with the name of the sender on the outer fold, but among the higher grades of people the tickets are much more elaborate, having & wood-cut representing the three greatest fecities in the estimation of Chi naman namely, offspring, official employment Cor promotion) and long lite. These are represented by the figures of a child, a mandarin and aged person. accompanied by a stork, the Celestial em- bem of longevity.
 It would be reckoned unlucky, If not almost criminal to work during the first three days of the new year. and no work is done except that required by the natural exigencies of life. Almost every one remains idle for from seven to ten days, and many of those who can afford to loaf do not begin working again for twenty days. So that nothing may interfere with the festivities, all debts and other business accounts settled before New Years day, and it is & great disgrace for a man who Is unable to meet his obligations st that time.
 This is the period for exchanging gifts among friends, and it is deemed unpardonable sin for person to send back 6 batch of gifts which may have been sent him. although if it is thought that the sender has been too liberal a selection may be made and the remainder returned without writ ten excuse.
 After the New Year comes the Feast of Lanterns which falls at the first full moon of the new year and at which most ingenious display of those lan- terms characteristic of the Chinese may be It is the aim of each person to outdo his neighbor, either in the taste ingenuity size of his lanterns and some of them are very odd in construction, and there is an infinite variety of them. Some made of silk, some horn, some paper and some glass; and many of them are supplied with movable figures of men on prancing horses, men fighting or perform ing various feats acrobatic and otherwise; there are moving birds, beasts and other living animals and reptiles all in full motion. In some of the larger cities where hundreds of thousands of them of innumerable shapes may be in the big pub- lie squares the effect must be very pretty. Some idea of the variety in which the lanterns are made and the ingenuity displayed in their construction, can be found by visit to some of the Chinese stores on Harrison avenue, where they may be bought at 6 low price.
 A few weeks after the feast of lanterns a holi- day occurs which is greatly esteemed by the Cees- tials. In China the governor of every capital city proceeds in state to the eastern gate to "meet the spring" this being represented by procession of people bearing a huge clay figure of 6 buffalo, which is called by them the water bullock, and is used by them to draw their blows through the flooded rice grounds. The procession is attended by litter upon which children dressed in fanci- ful colors to represent mythological personages, and 6 band of musicians also is carried along. When they have reached the governors house, he, in his capacity of priest of the spring, delivers bandry. Then he strikes the clay buffalo three times with a whip and the people fall upon it with stones, breaking the image in small pieces. The inside is filled with multitude of smaller images,