The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-12-30
NEW YEAR In CHINA
THE HOLIDAY OF THE CELEsTIALS
AND HOW THEY CELEBRATE 1T.
They Pay Their Debts md Paint the
Empire Red-Nev Year Calls and
How the Emperor Receives

Copyrighted. 1884. by Frank G. Carpenter.)
The Chinese viii celebrate New Year
day this year with quite as much en-
thusiasm as they ever have In the past,
Notwithstanding their terrible punish
Inent by the Japanese troops. The ma
jority of the Chinese people, in fact
hardly know that a war has been go
give up their New Year celebration. 1t
occurs later than ours, and comes on
the edge of the spring. 1t is, however
the great festival of the year, and it
is a sort of Fourth Of July, Christmas,
birthday and Sunday mixed up togeth-
er. 1t is the birthday of the whole
Chinese people. Every man, woman and
child In the empire is a year older on
New Year day, and all trot about and
wish each other many happy returns"
1t is the only Sunday that the Chinese
have throughout the year. The work
hours every day, and they put in thirty
solid days every month. At New Year
all lay off for rest, and for about two
weeks they do nothing but call. eat
and amuse themselves. For ten days
before the New Year the country goes
wild in preparation. The stores all have
low prices and new goods. and the bar
gain counters are thronged quite as
much as they are in America. Every
one buys presents, and all who can get
a new suit of clothes for the occasion.
Those who can't buy borrow or rent,
and the Chinese on New Year dress in
satins. furs and silks. 1t is about the
only day in the year when the whole
Chinese people are comparatively clean
Every person is supposed to take a
bath the day before, and this for the
majority of the people is the only time
they get bathed during the year.
New Year is the national pay day.
All accounts must be squared up at that
time, and the man who can't raise
enough to pay his debts has to go into
bankruptcy. The laws are such that
the creditor can enter the debtors house
and take what he Dleases if there is no
settlement. and families club together
and make all sorts of compromises to
keep up the business reputation OF the
clan. 1 was in China just after New
Year this year. and 1 found lots of
bankrupts. 1t is a great day for the
pawnbrokers. and their shops are
crowded with people who want to pay
their debts and redeem their best
clothes in order to get them out of
pawn before New Year. There are
crowds who want to pawn other things
in order to get money to pay their debts,
vi -l1l. u
pawn shops at this time of the year
more than any other people in the
world. Pawnbrokers receive very high
rates of interest, and they are protected
by the government. Speaking of bank
rupts, they are not permitted to begin
business again until some. settlement is
made, and when I wanted to buy some
pictures in Shanghai L was told that
the artist who kept them was bank
rupt. and that he could not open until
he got more money.
AN EMPIRE PAINTED RED.
The Chinese paint their whole coun-
try red, figuratively speaking, on New
Year in more senses of the word than
one. Red is the color with them which
denotes good luck and prosperity, and
all the New Year cards and invitations
are on paper of this color. Every child
gets its New Years present wrapped in
red paper, and red inscriptions are
pasted over the doors of the houses.
These inscriptions bear characters pray
ing for good fortune, wealth and happi-
ness, and they are posted on each side
of the outer doors of the houses. New
pictures of Chinese generals are put on
the front doors. and the houses are
secured and made clean. Among other
things, eggs are dyed red and are
offered to the gods. and dinner parties
are gotten up in bright vermillion. The
red used is that which you find around
our firecrackers. and the Chinese spend
more in firecrackers on New Year than
we do on the Fouth of July. The night
before every one is firing off packs of
crackers, and there are all sorts of fire
works. including birds and fishes and
scenes of all kinds in fire. The fire.
crackers are used to scare off the evil
spirits, and hardly any one goes to bed
the last night of the old year. The
Chinese say that the man who sits UP
the last night of the old and sees the
first sunrise of the new year for ten
years in succession will certainly have
long life. and there are all sorts of
New Year superstitions.
The children Of China all expect to
get something on New Year. and they
generally receive presents of money in
the shape of copper cash wrapped in
red paper. On the last night of the
year they run through the streets shout
| ing out good resolutions for the next
One says: 81 want to sell my laziness, -
| and another saws. II am ready to sell
my folly in order that / may be wiser
next year" They go out with their
| fathers to make New Year calls. and
| where families can afford it. they give
their children new clothes in honor OF
! the occasion. They carry lanterns
through the streets. and they have bal
/ loon-like fishes of paper. which are tied
\ to sticks over their houses in honor OF
/ the occasion. All men who have had
| children during the year buy lanterns
| and hang them I'D in sign of rejoicing
| over their good luck. There are games
| of all Sorts and many of the boys come
| out with new kites. There is DANCING
| in the streets. and there are jugglers
| and dime museum shows and all sorts
| of theatrical entertainments. The peo
| pie have festivals and there are family
| reunions. The rivers are covered with
| oiled paper, which is set on fire, and
| the harbors become flaming masses
| Everywhere there are shrines. with
| burning joss sticks before them, and the
| people fairly go wild.
| CHINESE NEW YEAR CALLS.
All people receive visitors on New
| Year day. and the relatives who cal
| are taken into the ancestral hall and