The morning call., 1894-12-30

anese troops. The majority of the Chi
nese people, in fact, hardly know that q
war has been going on, and nothing could
make them give,up their New Years cele-
bration. 1t occurs later than ours, ana
comes on the edge of the spring. It Is,
however, the great festival OF the year,
and it is a sort of Fourth of July, Christ
mas, birthday and Sunday mixed up to-
gethsr. 1t is the birthday of the whole
Chinese people. Every man, woman and
child in the empire is year older on New
Years day, and all trot about and
wish each other "manY happy re-
turns" 1t is the only Sunday that the
Chinese have throughout the year. The
working people labor from ten to twelve
hours every day. and thew put in thirty
solid days every month. At New Years all
lay off for a rest, and for about two weeks
they do nothing but call, eat and amuse
themselves. For ten days before New
Years the country goes wild in prepara-
ton. The stores all have low prices and
new goods, and the bargain-counteIs are
thronged quite as much as they are in
America. Every one buys presents. and
all who ran get new suit of clothes for
the occasion. Those who cannot buy,
borrow or rent, and the Chinese on New
Years 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
bath the day before, and this for the
majority of the people is the only time
they get bathed during the year.
New Years is the national pay day. All
accounts must be squared up at that time,
n ha hO MI In
his debts has TO go into bankruptcy. The
laws are such that the creditor can enter
the debt6r's house and take what he
pleases if there is no settlement, and fam-
lies club together and make all sorts of
compromises TO keep up the business repu-
tation of the clan. l was in China just
after New Years this year. and 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 Years.
There are crowds who want TO pawn other
things in order TO get money to pay their
debts, and the Chinese probably patroniZe
the pawnshops at this time of the year
more than any other people in the world.
Pawnbrokers receive very high rates of
lnIeIcSb anu lncy dI6 pIUlcCl0u ny tu6
Government. Speaking of bankrupts. they
are not permitted to begin business again
until some settlement is made, and W hen
L wanted to buy some pictures 10 Shanghai
/ was told that the artist who kept them
was a bankrupt and that he could not
open until he got more money.
The Chinese paint their whole country
red. fguratively speaking, on New Year
in nj
Red is the color with them which denotes
good luck and prosperity, and all the New
Years cards aud 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 praying for good fortune,
wealth and happiness, 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 offered to the gods.
and dinner parties are gotten up In bright
Vermilon. The red used is that which
you find around our frecrackers. and the
Chinese spend more in irecrackers on New
3 y.
The. night before every one is firing off
packs of frecraekers, and there all sorts
of fireworks. 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 Chi
nese say that the man who sits up the
last night of the old and sees the first sun
rise of the new year for ten years in sue
cession will certainly have long life, and
there are all sort of New Years supersti-
tions.
The children of China all expect to get
something on New Years, and they gener-
ally receive presents of money in the sh pc
of copper cash, wrapped in red paper. On
the last night Of the year they run through
the streets, shouting out good resolutions
for the next One says, 81 want to sell
my laziness," and another says, 81 am
ready to sell my folly. in order that may
be wiser next year." They go out with
their fathers to make New Years calls, and
where families can afford 1t. they give
their children new clothes in honor of the
occasion. They carry lanterns through the
streets, and they have balloon-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 up 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 Jug
glers and dime-museum shows and all
sorts of theatrical entertainments. The
people 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. Every
where there are shrines, with burning
joss sticks before them. and the people
fairly 90 wild.
All people receive visitors on New
Years day, and the relatives who call are
taken iuto the ancestral hall, and they
worship the ancestors of the family. After
this the young people go in and pay hon.
age TO their parents aud elder brothers,
ana then 90 to their schoolmasters and
teachers The Emperor has New Years
reception in Peking, and 1t may be that
the foreigners will be received this