Evening star., 1902-02-01
THE CHINESE NEW YEAR
GREAT PREPARATIONS FOR ITS
CELEBRATION NEXT FRIDAY.
Celestials Will Keep Open House
Generous Hospitality-The Gus
tom of Making Calls.

Residents of "China town are making eX-
tensive preparations for the celebration of
the Chinese new year, which occurs next
Friday. The laundries, stores and chop
suey houses will be in gala attire, and for
three days the celestials will make merry.
1t is reported that one of the local ceies-
tials contemp1ates taking unto himself
better half during the holiday season, and
should the event be celebrated here the
clothes washers, merchants and fan-tan
players will have a good time, The event
has not been definitely decided upon, ac-
cording to the rumor afioat. but the less
prosperous Cinnamon are anxiously hoping
the society event will take place. A Chinese
wedding means to them feast such as
they are seldom able to enjoy, for the
happy groom must follow the custom of
his native country and send out invitations
to his friends to dine with him. In this
city Chinaman would class all the Chi
nese residents being his friends, and the
spread given to them would prove an item
of considerable expense.
Whether the wedding takes place or not
the celesJials will eat drink and be merry
during the holiday season. Tables in the
homes of the celestals will be spread with
Chinese daintes, which will include can
dies. nuts and fruits, while rice cake will
be served with tea, rice wine or Chinese
whisky. Many of the iaundrymen will do
eat their meals at the restaurants. For
them there will be round of pleasure
lasting three days, and but very few of the
Cinnamon will perform any labor. While
some few of the laundries may be open
during the latter part of the week many of
them Will be closed, and patrons of most
of them viii experience some trouble in
getting their wash in time to have a clean
shirt for Sunday. Late Thursday night
preparations will be made for receiving
new year visitors and early Friday morn
ing the guests will begin to arrive Those
who live in Chinatown" are looked to to
make the greatest displays, and among
their guests will no doubt be some of those
who are attaches of the Chinese legation.
While it is true that each Chinaman
shakes his own hand, there is no mistaking
the cordiality with which the guests will be
RECEIVED.
Making New Year Calls.
Although Chinese intoxicants are served,
not many of the celestials indulge, as most
of them prefer cup of tea while making
their calls A piece of candy or fruit is in
dulged in, and every child who calls with
his father is obliged to carry home with
him a bag of candy or an orange. Cigars
are handed around in true American fash
ion, and the Chinaman who has spent the
day making calls generally finds in his
pocket stock of cigars sufficient to last
him several days. Cards are exchanged 10y
the callers, and the host and even the
Cinnamon of the different cities make these
exchanges by mail. Although the celebra-
tion lasts three days and intoxicants are
served 1t seldom happens that one of the
Cinnamon is visibly affected The police
records are in no way affected because of
the celebration. Chinese women are not in
evidence during the holiday season.
Sunday following new year day will be
an eventful one in the Chinese quarter The
population of chinatown" is always
greater on Sunday than on any other day
because the laundrymen throughout the CITY
congregate In the stores and dining rooms,
as well as at the joss house. and the
places where games are played week
from tomorrow, however, will be an exccp-
tional day. and the celebration will prob
anly AFFECT the attendance at the several
Chinese Sunday schools