The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-02-11
CELESTIAL NEW
YEAR CELEBRATED
1t Fell on Friday, but the
Festival Was Held on
Sunday.

llung Hal l1al Toy, which in The mouth
of . Chinese sounds like kwunG il way
ls'way Toow. and in the mouth of an
American like hay fever, Was celebrated
with great solcmnity by the Celestiais OF
Richmond on Sunday. 1t WAS ~ kind OF
a tiopc-feast, interningled iii which was
bird s-llcst SOUP chop sucy. and some
ether things unfit FOR publication. From
all that can be learned. 1t MARS quite an
Auspciotls occasion. Ii sounded some
thing like n Cog pound in action, and WAS
held behind closed doors. Yesterday the
Cclcstials were consuming an unusual
amount of ice water, and they didn
rub amy holes in their wash tubs.
In English hunG Hal TAI ToE is the
Chinese New Year. The day fell on last
Ioriday-~it WAS enough 10 fracture it--but
the disciples OF the waShea-waahee
couldn't get to it with a celebration I'M
til sunday. II is on this joyful occasion,
according 10 Celestial tradition, that tho
Chinese must pay ali their debts, there
fore The day as one for rcjoicinSs hardly
appeals 80 civilization generally. IT 4
Chinese does not pay all his debts on
New Years day his creditors have a per-
feet right 10 bring isnoniny and sorrow
upcn him by committing suicide an his
front steps. So far as known there have
hccn no Chinese suicides. SO il IS safe TO
presume that they all paid un The Chin
csc commit suicide with strange Weapons,
ono Of which looks like a plow and IS
pronounced like i Sawil
Auotllcr pleasing Chinese custom which
Isl put into practice on the New Near Is
The annual oXecition of Chinese offenders
i'm the Chinese Colony of san Francisco.
Certain acts which are not recognized
as ofrcnscs by american law are capital
crimes in.ilIc Chinese intellect. As these
are committed the Chinese arc sentenced
10 death OH the happy New \ ear; then IN
the presence of tl:a rice VINE Su1Zl2rS
a sword Is draTn across the neck. oil INC
criminal and 10 is pronounced dead. From
that time forward he is an cuteast. and
after receiving The Celestial snui5 on all
,;i,9Ss no figures out that he might as
well BIC dead and stabs himself With Inc
nloM-leokine arrangement
Tho New Sear festivities IN This city
wcrs held in tho store OF Wing On We,
In Bread Street near Elahth II Mas
cutie time. it seems although MI. WING
could be induced 10 say nothing about 1t.
1'hen in q misguided moment the reporter
asked him what year 1t was the Chinese
celebrated. That was the beginning Of
INC end After the question had been
,1,rned ana twisted into and out OF the
:t1i,eer,'s English some dozen times, Mr.
aying emgled Twenty eight
II Was pointed out to him that this
Mas lnaaIfestiy impossible, that me Con-
,t,,utional Convention had been III session
yearly that long.
Ram" said Mr.. Wine.
Looks a little like it, said the reporter.
Then Mr. Wing grow cAc!tec.
sing Ia SIS bah zim lee ,ooE, II SOUND
cd like.
why. I'm surprised said the reporter.
.llippity hop Ice sing lots, ol1iiicd air.
Wing. wts-waggins violently.
~ on don't gay so?'' said TIC reporter
,lieappe lot dc seq boom rah,' walled
Mr. Wing.
.,why. j never understood it that VA
remarked tho reporter in genuine sur
p,ise. And then another Chinese al,-
reared on tho scene smoking a pipe that
looked like a gas fixture. die said the
chinese New Year WAS number ow
Yen ice Hang Dog Sing. or at least ~
sa,,,,sed. IKE that and that 1t could not
be said in English. The reporter agreed
With him
H.u they did have Time