The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-02-01
IN THE MONGOLIAN HOMES.
TODAY THE LOCAL CELEBRATION
WILL BEGIN IN REAL
EARNEST.
AND FIRECRACI<ERs
VISITS
VIII he Characteristic Features OF
This Great Day in the CeIes-
tails Calendar.

where, will keep 1t up for a week or
more. Those who can't will ring off on
their sport when their money is gone;
and get back to their laundry tubs
Among them will be the exchange Of
Happy New Year.
Chinese New Years comes a little
ahead Of time this year. 1t usually
gets around about the middle of Feb.
ruary but owing to some trifling mac
curacies in the Chinese calendar it has
been advanced a bit this time, so that
1897 for the heather Chinee" starts on
it's rounds in the month of January
as registered on the Christian calendar
In reality, however, it isn't 1897 for
the heather Chinee." He reckons his
time from a different starting point
and counts this year the tWenty-third
in the reign Of good Kuang Hsu."
That doesn't mean that China is tWen-
tythree Years old, by any means,
They have way in China Of breaking
the calendar off and starting it afresh
with each new ruler, and this year is
the tWenty-third in the reign of Kuang
Hsu. The reason for the new years
beginning ahead of the usual time is
that it is to have thirteen months in
stead of twelve.
New Years calls and firecrackers are
features of the celebration, where the
police will allow the latter
For the rich Cinnamon the New
Years celebration lasts two weeks. For
the poor ones it lasts as long as their
money lasts. When that is gone they
go back to work. What do the rich
fellows do during those two weeks?
Oh, they sit around and eat good din
ners, call on one another and play
dOminoeS or casino or something else
if the police don't raid them. That's
the trouble, though. The police raid
Chinamans house if they think any one
is playing dominoes inside. 1t doesn't
make any difference whether there is
any gambling about it or not; the po-
lice raid just the same. It's an out
rage, and I'm going to roast them for
it.
New Years time is the great holiday
time with the Chinaman. 1t is his time
for Ostentation and for particular gen
erosity. He likes to give his friends a
good time then and is ready to make
a great sacrifice to do it.
During Chinese New Year celebra-
tion, which lasts from a week to two
in big settlements, all their places Of
business should properly be closed. The
holiday involves many visits tn the
joss house, of course, where the cele-
brating MOngOlians listen eagerly and
intently to music which does not at all
accord with the American idea of har-
mOny, bow and salaan, and go through
a regular routine Of religious ceremo-
NAL. AT the joss house also the China
man makes his contributions of what
| he can afford to the various charities
| and other objects to which he is
| pledged.
The formal dress for Chinese New
Years calling, or, at least, the most
important part of it, consists Of a long
blue robe. One Of these is donned by
every member of a calling party, and
away they go. These robes are not
worn by those who are receiving.
By tonight the Chinese stores and
the like will have been decorated and
put in readiness for the celebration.
They will answer for the reception
rooms during the festivities that are to
follow. The callers are ushered in with
much eclat always, as they wander
about from place to place on sociability
| bent at hours when Christian people
are supposed to be in bed and fast
asleep. At each place they enter they
sit around in a circle, in the center of
which is placed a tray Of candy, wine,
cigars and what other Chinese refresh
ments may be desired. AS the visitor.
enters the room he is bound by eti-
quette to cross his hands before him
and make sweeping bow to the floor
which salutation Is returned by the
host. This can only be done gracefully
with the long robes.
TIE conversation is started by the
equivalent In Chinese of May you gain
many riches The Whale conversation
is on this order, and consists of a Sc
ries of eXtravagant compliments, which
minutes the visitor takes mis- leave and
goes to another place.
Visiting in this way is kept up
among the rich for a week or two,
and it is evidence Of respect and the
great esteem in which a Chinaman Is
held by his fellow countrymen il he is
able tC keep his store closed to bust
ness and in use as a reception room
| longer than the ordinary run.
New Years time and that just pre-
ceding is usually busy season for the
! Chinese BARRIERS, too All the China
men who hope to make a good showing
have their heads newly shaved and
their queues newly plated and put in
order The pawnshops, too, do a
| good business. Cinnamon have to
have money for the holiday festivi-
ties, and they are usually willing to
separate themselves from almost any
thing in their possession to get it. And
| those long blue robes for New Years
calling have to be secured by those
who do not possess them at whatever
cost may be.