The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1898-12-22

winter solstice, when the days begin to
lengthen and to hint at coming spring.
The Yule log, the drinking bowl or
horn, the boar's head, the holly, mistle-
toe and evergreen were then symbols Of
material rather than spiritual truths
Ths~American, Scandinavian, Ger
man and Englishman keep up the an
cient custom, while the Latin races seem
to know nothing about it. They cele-
brate New Years day, and do it in the
| same fashion as we at Christmas.
The Chinese and Japanese came cen.
turtles ago from Mongolia and Siberia,
their early If not original home. Living
| In land whose winter brought snow
and ice, they also noticed and rejoiced
over the solstice and the return of the
| sun. Their merriment took the form Of
eating, drinking and generous hospital
ity and developed into great festival
like our own. By degrees it was trans
ferred to their New Years, where it
still remains.
Yet even today the astrologers notice
the solstice in their almanacs, horo-
scopes and tables, and in the last week
| of the month are two festivals, whose
nature is charmingly poetic. About
Dec. rs is that of the genius of the
north (who is the evil spirit Of ice and
winters privation) and about Dec. 20 is
that of the angel of sunlight. In the
same week is the day Of Chang Sin, the
tutelary deity of parenthood, to whom
young married couples pray for healthy
male issue. The first and second are the
equivalents Of Yule, the pre- Christian
| Yule. The first contains an element Of
humor. The Monaghan is gladly bid
ding goodby to the cruel ice spirit He
does not wish the latter to see his hilar-
ity lest spiritual vengeance be aroused
and cold spell in March or April ruin
the crops. So he puts little cups of
fragrant tea, plates of sliced boiled
| chicken and pieces of roasted spiced
| pork on a we'll carved table where tbs
winter ghost can regale himself with
comfort. But at tho same time, to pre-.
vent his invisible visitor playing any
FRANKS, John Chinaman pastes written
talismans on the wall. burns Joss sticks
in groups of three at every point vulner-
able to malicious COLLINS and even fas-
|
When it comes to the festival Of the
angel Of light, the observant traveller
can see the spirit Of Yule shine out in
Chinese colors. In place of the Yule
log, there is steaming pot of tea; for
the boar's head there is young pig
roasted; for the punch bowl and drink
ing horn there is wicker covered bottle
or a graceful wine pitcher filled with
some strange but aromatic stimulant.
The mistletoe and holly are replaced by
bouquets and garlands of artificial flow
ers, and here and there are pots of
blooming narcissi or even a rosebush.
On the family altar, and nearly every
Chinaman, no matter how poor, has hif
own altar, before which he prays and
makes silent repentance, are burning
incense sticks, bronze casket with
smoldering sandalwood within, light
ed candle and often flaming votive
candle, gay in scarlet and gold. At the
temple throng visits the angels par
ticular shrine. Some explode frecrack
ers In her honor. Others ignite packs Of
joss sticks in gratitude for her favors
the past year and in hope of their con.
tinuance during the harvest to come
Then come those who ask the angel tC
be present at the funeral of parent O,
child, the marriage Of son, the getting
out on journey, the bedside of sick
room. After prayer the poor priests
and servitors of the temple are remem
bered in few small coins. A bundle
OF prayer papers ls burned in the grea,
iron or bronze urn of the temple stairs
and the religious ceremony is over TO,
the day.