The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-01-24
Day Celebrated by the
Chinese EVERYWHERE.
.Aso7oa1 uglAy'
-LAl11s hIsoH sdt
GiH tos1'Nroc "a yci srols
Queer Ceremonies Attending
the AnnualFestival.
Local Celestial Laundrymen Not
Sure Of the Exact Date.

The Chinese New Year 10 due about
this time, although there Is a slight differ
ence Of opinion among local ls~undrymen
as to the exact date. One says Jan. %,
but he is probably wrong, as tho majority
aver that II comes sometime In February,
one claiming that % days from today viii
be happy New Year and others that IL
will arrive In two weeks, or therea bout.
When II does arrive the Cinnamon will
have happy time eating their fill and
''setting-em-up," although their enjoy
mept will be curiailed somewhat because
the police viii not afiow them to set of
fire crackers with impunity.
"No bling, bling, bling, here, " says one,
"Csliforny got bling, bling, bing."
"what do you have thenf' he was
asked.
"Oh, c~ocoanut aud set-em-up."
1t seems that with the Chinese this Is
the most important holiday OF the year
n at home it begins a fortnight OF ies-
wtivities. II Is movable feast, occurring
from lam. % TO Feb. 20, because the
Chinese year Is reckoned by IL lunar
months, inserting an extra month into
every fourth year to square the calendar.
The date Is regulated by that Of the new
moon nearest TO the day when the sun has
reached the 10 degrees of Az uar ius. Only
at New YEA do the Chinese indulge their
taste for meat, eating such quantities OF
pork, or mutton, II they arc Mohammedans,
as to frequently cause them to sicken and
die from gormandizing. They put on
their best clothes, shut up shop and the
men and boys go out In the early morn
ing to worship at the graves Of their an
cestors. This does not take long snd the
rest Of the day IL given up to Publication.
On the eve of New Year, though, the
festivities begin. Joss sticks are burnt.
lamps and candles kept bright, offerings
placed on shrines, thanks offered for care
vouchsafed during the year, gongs are
beat and tirecrackers galore are burned.
The day before is given up to banqueting
by all who can afford it. New Years Day
IL the feast ccS.e three beginnings-thst
of the year, the month and the days.
In China they count peoples ages from
year to year and a child born on Dec. 81
is two years old on Jan. !. Another GU
iiouo NuohOui Al mat y NNot tuhh Al ubDdlu
New Years eve cannot be subsequently
recovered, unless the creditor follows the
debtor all night and manages to overtake
him the next day, and even then his Ian
tern must have been kept lighted sl the
time.
The wind on the first day OF the year
forecasts the weather for the year, and in
The la m tho Rwof uArd up.;ta.
gives its character TO the whole year;
hence people always begin their letters
with such words as happiness, wealth,
long life, etc.
The spring equinox often falls on the
first day and then there are great fetes.
Each town has its procession of the
spring OK, which animal Is first repre-
sented by a gigantic clay statue, followed
BY a real OK gay with ribbons and roset-
tes. The procession moves to the temple
OF the God Of Agriculture where The OK
mot the s%tatue) is sacrificed and distrib-
uted to the people. There are numerous
feast days set apart during the fortnight.
The fourth day OF the first moon is the
"Fesst Of the God OF Wealth and Happi-
hN1o hhN oSNShth 10 tOiotNAuitu W Al
Feast OF Man." the ninth to the 'Feast
Of God" n SO on. All the people think
OF is to organize pleasure parties through
out the time mp to the end OF the feast OF
lanterns, as 1t Is called. Hong Kong
climate at this season Of the year is called
perfectly lovely" soft and balmy and
redolent OF flowers. Here the approach OF
the festival Is heralded by the peasants
coming In from the country with branch
es CT blossoming peach trees and bundle
Of budding sticks and the merchants dis
play pots Of narcissus, chrysantbemums
and Japanese dsphnes.
In Providence the celebration of the
Chinese New Year will be modest, hut
there will be eating, drinking and visit
ing and the la%undrymen's customers in
good Standing will be offered share.