The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1902-02-05
CHINESE NEW YEAR FESTIVAL on
FRIDAY.
Rival Societies viii Probably Sink
Their Differences-why the Followers
OF Confucius Hold Two Dates.

'hOnOnl, OF 'tnlneSe view tdI ~
will be celebrated with due ceremony,
with twanging Of fikkens, changing Of
Cymbals, flights of fireworks, kites and
! balloons, deep draughts of samshu and
general hosting Of the banner of the
| dragon.
The rest Of the week will be practical
! ly given over to uniyeTsay rejoicing
| over another epoch added to the dra-
CONS lengthy tale Of years and the
satisfaction of having paid off all debts
and being free to indulge in unrestrain-
ed mirth. Those who cannot pay their
debt usually immediate themselves upon
the altar of honor and shuttle off this
mortal coil, 50 that all who are left are
care free and able to enjoy life to the
limit.
There are two Konohis held among
the alien Chinese Of America and other
places where the Orientals have estab-
lished themselves, One is the New
Year according to the almanac and the
direction of the COnsulates, observed by
all those who have become sufficiently
| enlightened in western ways to under
stand western mathematics, and the
other observed by the cOolie class, those
who merely base their calculations as
to the date on the fact that the morn
| ing and the evening make one day. This
| latter class is not by any means con-
| fined to the Chinese however.
Some two hundred years ago the emil
nent mathematiCians of the world dis
covered that the course of the world
around the sun was not only taking a
| shorter period year by year, by an in
! hnitesimal fraction, but had been es-
! timated wrOngfully in the first instance
so that the modern almanaCs were seven
! days ahead of the worlds progress
since man first kept tab on what he
called time. BY general proclamation
the world was advised of the mistake
{ tF1H
gistered a prompt and vigorous kick at
! being as they imagined, deliberately
| robbed of seven days Of their earthly
existence without their previous con-
sent being asked. Urged on by the wo-
men, whose indignation at being sud-
denly made a week older, knew no
! bounds, the pQpulaCe of London town
! marched in procession carrying banners
! on which was inscribed the legend
! Give us back our seven days"
! So with the Chinese who first emil
| grated to America. Despite sea sick
ness and the discomforts of travel,
| every sun setting was scored off on a
! stick in mans earliest method of count
ing time, and so the days were counted
| as they sailed from Shanghai and way
| ports to the Golden Gate, and thus they
| preserved their relations with the al
manac at home and it's festiv ais know
! ing that they were Just so many days
! behind the folks at home.
In 1896 Wu Ting Fang, the Chinese
| consul general at Washington, had his
| notice drawn to the sectional lines of
| western world dividers and realized, OF
| politely said he did, the mystedy of the
! lSOth meridian and the fact that the
| vOyagers sailing eastward towards CAL
! lifOrnia, had lost a day. He then issued
| a proclamation announcing the fact and
| the ingenious computation Of the for
! eigners that brought about the marvel
The change was accepted by all but
| the class whose studies in arithmetic
| do not extend beyond the limits of an
abacus. Having kept close reckoning
on the sun, no higher mathematics
! could make them believe that black was
white or that the nOtches i'm their sticks
| We're incorrect. 1.-TWO and two make
four was tlOair ultimate philosophy and
they stuck to it. THE consuls were I'm
| league with the foreign devils to whom
they had sold day for taeIs, yet many
taels Of gold. But they would none of
it,"
So the rank and file of China in Ha-
WaH VIII celebrate tomorrow as the
true New Year while those in touch
! with western methods and advanced
ideas hold the festival on Friday and
smile with conscious superiority. Kono.
M generally lasts at least three DAYS
however to the sorrow of those who
employ Chinese help. Your average
Chinese chef boldly asks for a week and
gets ii or takes il. He knows that
he will need at least that time for the
proper indulgence in and recuperatiOr
irOm, the samshu not to mention the
edible indigeStibles with which he viii
pack himself 1t is only on festivals O
this kind that the Chinaman goes in fol
intOXcants. The race is addicted r.
opium but the vice Of drunkenness can,
not be laid to their charge.
| The regular celebration will DrOba bIN
be held as usual in the rooms Of the
! United Chinese Society on King stree
with the territorial band discourslnl
music that is totally abhOrrent to tn,
e Chlnese idea of harmony but which hal
% become bearable and even enjoyable by
a long habit. The questions that have
ragged lately as to the election of Off
GERS Of the society between the reform
ers and the consular party will in al
likelihood be amicably settled or tenn
porarily buried with the rest of the
tongs, hatchets and animosities durinl
! New Year
All day yesterday committees were
! appointed from both sides who appear
ed eager to make concessions for tn,
, time being although with true orienta
, sophistry the leading question wer,
! carefully kept out Of sight like skeleton,
in cupboard to be hidden until afte
the feast. The final committee has sim
mered down to five representatives, tw,
from either side and one Independent
member who will come to some under
standing today that win allow the fes
ilNal to be cOnsummated i'm peace.
ON Friday while the band plays AM
the consul receives i'm AN the dgnit.
becoming an imperial representative
. retOrmers and conservatives alike will
hide their party differences at the pub
lie reception i'm smiles that viii b
. | bland, If not Childltke. although thei
.Is.I.. 90.