Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1897-01-21
cHINA's DECEMBER FEAST.
Does Rot Celebrate the Birth of Chrisa
But La Similar in Many Rasnects.

Does hot Celebrate the Birth of ChrisA
But Is Similar in Many Respects.
'WAile the Chinese have no Christ
mas, ss Americans understand the term,
they have a great mid-December fes-
tival, which bears a curious resem-
blance TO the celebration of the nations
that honor the birthday OF the founder
OF Christianity" said Wong Chin Foo.
the Chinese philosopher, who is trying
TO convert Chicago to his religion.
ION the 21st of December, as YOU
reckon, all the millions in China, with
out exception as to rank or wealth.
hold great annual feast, which is
near enough in time and similar in
character to be called Chinese Christ
mas.
'Of course, there is no such word as
Christmas in our vocabulary. This
mid-December feast is called in our
tongue the festival of Dun Gee. 1t is
strictly religious and social observ-
ance of your Christmas day. The Chi.
nese people, in celebrating Dun Gee,
gather together to render thanks to
supreme nature for all the good things
of the year that has passed. AS the
Christians gather in their churches, so
the Chinese gather in their josshousea
and join in services of thanks While
the incense is burning before the altar
the congregation kneel and murmuI
silent prayers to the supreme ruler, the
giver of all good gifts.
THE custom dates back 1000 years
is national in its character, and stands
third in Importance among our festai
days
while the English Christmas day
would not be complete without the
plum pudding, and the Americans enjoy
their turkey and oysters, the Chinese
have a characteristic dish for the feast
of Dun Gee. It is part of the religion:
observance and is consecrated by pres
entation to the joss before it is par
taken of by the worshipers. It is
very peculiar preparation, sort of pud.
ding, the ingredients of which are Sc.
lected from all the cereals raised il
China. In it are rice, milIet, wheat
oats, barley and maize-Indian corn
as you call it, but China has produced
corn for thousands of years, and ]
believe that your Indian corn first came
from China. We have a legend to the
effect that in prehistoric times Is junk
set sail to the eastward from the coast
of our kingdom. China was not an
empire then, and while none OF
the junks ever came back, stories
reached home that the navigators had
found a great new land, good for agri-
culture, and of such attractions that
China would see these bold adventures
nc more.
"But to return to our pudding. Ii
is prepared by boiling with sweet dates
until it is thoroughly cooked and pre-.
sents a glutinous mass. Portions of
this dish are first offered as a sacrifice
to the joss, and the remainder forms
the dish of honor at the feast of Dun
Gee. 1t is eaten with sugar, and is
considered great treat aside from its
Importance in symbolic sense.
"While the Chinese children have no
patron saint, such as Santa Claus, they
have their part in the feast of Dun
Gee. 1t is looked forward to by the
children as holiday given over to en-
joyment. They do not attend school
on that day, but spend it in frolic and
play, and are given presents of candy
and nuts.
Religious services are held between
three and four o'clock in the afternoon.
In the evening the women and chill
dren attend parties, and the occasion
is one of great social enjoyment. In
this regard, you will observe, the fes-
tival of Dun Gee is again parallel, in
a certain degree, to that of Christmas.
''The feast was founded to celebrate
the close of the year, and is really
festival of thanks to our ruling provi-
dence for the prolongation of life, the
happiness that has been granted dur
ing the year just ended, and all the
gifts that have been granted in the
way of material prosperity.
THE feast resembles Christmas in
that it nearly coincidental in time; it
is a religious observance; it is also Il
time of social reunion; because it has |
a dish peculiar TO itself and because it |
is eminently day upon which the chill
Gren are allowed especial privileges and |
- Chicago Times-Hf raid. |