Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1893-02-15
THE CHINESE NEW YEAR.
HOW IT IS Celebrated IN CHINA.

HOW 1T IS CELEBRATED IN CHINA.
In China, where there are NJ Sum
lays, the one universal holiday
throughout the country js at New
Year time. TGere are certain other
local festivals, but at New Year only
suspended. The date of this feast is
variable one, but it always comes not
earlier than Januarv u or later than
February 49, falling on the first new
moon after the sun enters Aguarius.
1t Is season of rejoicing and merry
making IL all classes of society. The
holiday is legal one for three days
only; hut its celebration actually con.
t,nues much longer. Many shops are
closed for a fortnight, and for much
more prolonged period 1t is often very
difficult to have various kinds of work
done. In Shanghai and Hong Kong,
which are the two principal open ports
of China, the tradesmen, tailors, shoe
makers, carpen ers, paiuter', etc, have
many employees coming from the in
land districts and surrounding country.
n ,arly all these mn go to their homes
for the holiday seas N, which causes
business are set turning again.
These facts consyiTe with others to
make the season one Of considerable
Inconvenience TO foreign housekeeper
in China. She must be blind to the
Disappearance OF half her usual staff of
domest cs, and to the flushed faces and
unsteady gait of those who remain.
She must also be deaf to sounds of
merry-meking proceeding from the
servants quarters. Her purse as we'll
as her patience is severely taxed, as
she is expected to give each servant in
her employ present IN money equal
in amount to his monthly wages. Ii
no presents we're given, she would be
punished for many months by poor
service and sulky faces. And this is
not a. !. If she be the wife of "largee
mau," 1. g., man occupying an i'm
portsnt position, she will have been
deluged at Chl istmas with gifts of tur-
keys, live sheep, boxes of tea, baskets
of oranges aud apples, ETC., from her
tradespeOple, and with rolls of silk,
valuable furs, embroideries, and cnrics
from Chinese merchants and mandar
ins, who may chance 10 have some
business connection with her husband.
These presents must now be suitably
returned. The tradespeople are sup
posed to be sufficiently repaid by a
continuance of patronage; but the
master Of the house must return the
more valuable gifts made to his wife
by seniIug the donors cases OF cham
pague, boxes of cigars, clocks, watches,
anu musical boxes, all of which are
articles regarded with especial favor by
The upper classes of Chinese.
4 foreign merchant hnds his bust.
less affairs greatly hampered by the
absence Of many Chinese from the town
and by the unbounded Publications. and
cups of "sdBt shd' Chinese whisky
indulyed In Tor several weeks by those
who remain, The reward of foreign
ers for the Inconvenience undergone
at this season is in the opportunities it
affords tbem tor picking up rare and
valuable curios at low prices, The uni
versal Chinese custom IS that all dsvts
must be paid and accounts settled with
the ending of the old year. In order
to do this many families are obliged to
part with heIrloOms and long cherished
treasures at great sacrifice.
All the cities now assume very gay
appearance, the outside of the houses
being decorated with fanciful lanterns,
large sprays of ARTIFICIAL flowers, and
strips OF red paper with notices on
them which are pasted around and
above the doors. The following mot
toes are specimens of some of the favor
ties: Better he upright with poverty
than depraved with abundance" bet
ter not be than be nothing" '1he
happy-hearted man carries JOY TOR all
the household" Here and there one
sees blue papers among the red ones,
which denote that during tie past year
there has been a death in the house.
The streets are throDged by gor-
geously dressed crowd most of them
/ attred in brightly colored silks and
satins; for the rich don their best, and
even the very poor, who are IN misera-
bIe rags all the rest of the year, gene.
rally contrive to hire or to lake ont of
pawn fine clothes for this occasion. If
it is quite impossible for them t. do
this, they remain hidden away in their
; homes.
The fashion 0; paying New Year calls
/ Dow dying out with US, Is still IN vogue
IN China, where prot Oabiy had its ori-
gin, bit there it is men who receive as
we'll as who pay the visits, Chinese wo-
me q taking no part whatever in social
life. Every Chinsman, except among
the very lowest classes, expects, to re.
ceIve visits from his interiors, and to
pay them to those who are above him
in station. Pupils must cali on their
teachers, married sons on their fathers,
poor relations on the oh and powerful
members OF tine family, etc. In som g
ca ses sending a card is deemed sutti-
cient. These cards consist of thin strips
OF scarlet paper with the name of the
sender written on them IN black char
acters. Sometimes good wishes are add
ed.
People meeting in the streets salute
each other by crying 'Kung-hi! Kung-
hi!' Il humbly wish you ioy,) or Sin
hill Sin hi" MAY Joy he yours,) So
that it seems possible that our custom
OF saying Happy New Year" as we'll as
that of paying New Year visits may