The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1902-01-25

rags" in shape to celebrate the
~ approaching celestial New Year
which begins on Friday. February q
There is an air of activity in all Sec
tions of the thickly populated district
where the Chinese live and conduct
| their business The coming New Year
promises to be a big event despite the
! assurances of some of the knowing
| Chinese. that times are hard and that
| there is not as much money to put into
a celebration this year as in former
| days. AS an indication, however, that
| the Chinese in general are possessed OF
| enough money to make 1t worth their
of the business houses Will remain
closed for two weeks. The closing up
will take place on Friday, the first day
of the New Year, and many will re-
open for business again on the follow
ing Monday. There will have to be a
big lot of pounding of drums and the
sounding of cymbals, screeching of in
definable fiddles, and burning of much
en- off devils that are not needed in the
business of the celeStials. For this rea-
son, If for no other, the majority will
remain closed up anywhere from six to
twelve days.
There has been a difference of opin-
ion between Yang Wei Pin, the Chinese /
Consul and the leaders of the Reform
party, as to the date when the New
Year commences. The Consul assures !
his people officially that the New Year !,
begins on Thursday, February 6, while !
the Reformers declare as energetically, !
if not quite so officially, that Friday, !
February z, is the day. AT any rate, !
the big reception which the United Chi /
nese Society gives every year, will be
held in the rooms of the society on
King street at noon Friday, and under
the auspices of the Reformers who now
control the society.
The day will open at the conclusion
of the last stroke of the midnight hour
on the 9Th with an uproarious explo-
sion of big and small firecrackers, and
the Chinese brass bands will split the
air with celestial music, a la Chinese.
Big feasts are also in order for that
hour. At present the wholesale and re-
tail dealers are opening up cases of
goods recently received from China,
which are filed with the delicacies of
the Chinese New Years season.
One of the most interesting phases of
the preparations is that of the manu-
facture of the big glazed lanterns,
which, on New Years Eve, VIII line
every street in the Chinatown district.
These big lanterns with their brilliant
colored designs in flowers, birds and
scenes in China painted
thereon. are something that no China
man who intends to properly observe
the celebration can get along without
They are generally bought in pairs and
range in price from 50 to $50. Il
On Hotel and Maunakea streets there
are several little stores where Chinese
are busily at work filling orders for
these halloon-like lanterns, and are not
able to turn out half enough of them
to comply with the demands. Not only
are the lanterns entirely manufactured
here but the brilliantly painted candles
which light them are made here as
well. Even the cases of tubes in which
each candle is placed for shipment out
Of town, are patiently manufactured in
these shops. The process is interest
ing. {,
The frames for the lanterns are made