Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1891-11-06
QUEER HOLIDAYS.
The Festivals Of the Chinese
Number Thirty-Five.
Celebrating Various Changes
of the Years Seasons.

Of the Years seasons I
The Chinese seem to go at things in i
a wrong spirit, and as our knowledge !
of them widcns, we arc much amused. [
The festivals of the almond-eyed folks
are varied and extensive, numbering !
in all 35. XII. Moon, 10Th Day. is
the festival of Hsiao-han, which
means Slight Cold; and it strikes us
as particularly funny, for we are
more apttolgo into mourning over
slight cold than to rejoice in it. The
next holiday is Tieu-lung-tan, which
is celebrated in q manner becoming
the Birthday of the Celestial Dragon.
Tu-ham means Grea: Cold, and this
is celebrated XII Moon, 30th day,
and a fortnight after, on the 10Th Day |
of the |. Moon the Li-cl'ua and the !
Shang-yuen-chich are both recognized,
the first being the beginning of
spring, aud the second tho well known
Feast of Lanterns, when they try TO
outdo our Fourth of July in noise
and general noisy amuscmcn!s. Fol
lowing Immediately upon this is the
feast of Rain Water, and from our
acquaintance with Chinese umbrellas,
ii seems likely that the festival Is OBJ
served indoors. After this is the
Chingche, aud the very sound of it is
suggestive of the cutom illogical song
sters that frequent the woodland at
this season, for this is the day of Ex-
cited Insects. Does it not seem that
the Celestial is really reversed in all
his ideas?
But perhaps this festival is one of
Precipitation, and we would most GER
taialy have q holiday could we limit
the celebrations of the excited insect.
themselves 10 one brief day. The
! Vcrnal Equinox is perfectly natura
festival, although we of the West art
not partial to celebrating the changes
| of nature. Perhaps their weather
more certain and reliable, for littl
. later is the Ch'ing-ming, or Pur
Brightness, and if We had any sue
I holiday. We could count upon a rain
Il storm covering Che entire country
.a. II .i...a...g7,ifx as al---=-.t:--.
: and if We had the Ko-Su, or Cor
8 Rain, which is the next In order,
d drought would prccele and follow III
d celebration for fortnight.
l The Beginning of Summer is Ill
y following holiday, which is alike OF
It social hegira; but the IIsao-man Ina
: no parallel in our lives. This latte
II is the Small Fulness, and may l
s likened TO the combination of II
n small boy and the green apple; br
t that period is generally one of wailin
}. and sorrow. The Anniversary of Il
II Death of Confucius is followed L
;. Mang- chung, or Sprouting Deed
y from which we may judge that Il
Corn Rain duly obeycd the sun
is mons. After the Dragon Bot
IS Festival and the Summer Solstic
Il which have no countcrparts wit
IL us, the lIsiao-shu, which is inte
l. preted as Slight Heat, may be foun
with US TO be the beginning of vac
I'd tiJn. The Formation of Heaven an
Earth and Feast OF Heavenly Gif
t, follow closely; and the day after Il
latter is the Ta-shu. This is Grej
l. Heat; analogous TO stagnation {
" trade and general lazness, which
d duly observed throughout our entil
at country. The Li-ch'iu is the bcgi!
IL ming of autumn, and marks the cxi
of the summer girl; and Chu-shu, {
lc Stopping of Heat, sugge,ts by its a
ID cent the railroad train which bears Il
!" homeward bound tourist.
TX The Po-lu is the White Dew th
follows, which with us usually mari
the exit of the straw hat. But Viii
Dew, or our Jack Frost, seems TO hay
" given place this year to n repetition
10 Great Heat. The Autumnal Equinox Al
e Midautumn Festival are the succcedl
delights of the Celestial, and TIN
H. comes the Cold Dew. 1t is hard
W catalogue this day, but the coal baro
in must delight in it, although they ha'
Ill 10 special public celebration. Tht
IS the Birthday of Confucius ahd Chul
y Yung Festival are followed
;. Frost's Descent, which only serv
'n TO render our idea of 4
r, colors and degrees of dews pr
n viously celebrated more pcrplcxil
than ever. The Li-tnng marks {
ny beginning Of winter, and may
D. noted by us as the appearance of t
lg ulster, and Slight Snow, musical
n known in the original as Hsia- hsue
v is just the same as our Li-tung. 7
to Ta-hsueh is Great Snow, which is Il
r. celebrated with any great delight
er any one except the small boy; an
after this distinctively Chinese fl
lie tival, the conclusion first formed l
garding the very eccentric ideas of {
Celestial is found TO be quite cOrre'
a -IIIarpers Weekly.
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