The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1902-02-07
; KONGHEE FACHOY f"
ALL CHINATOWN WELCOMES THE
PAT<E NEW YEAR
Open House is Held at the United So
cieties Where Many Attend the
Reception.

Personal preparations for the repui-
site ceremonial of ushering I'm the Chi
nese New Year, began last night before
the packages of fire crackers were
broken, the lilies laid upon the house
hold tables or the candles placed IN
readiness for today. 1t started soon af-
ter the hour of darkeninE. or sundOwu,
yesterday, i'm the temples whore the
fragrant incense sticks burned before
the mighty joss.
with genuhections and fervent aspi-
ration the Gods were beseeched 10 bring
good fortune with the coming year.
Few were left in the joss houses by
eleven o'clock and at midnight, Amer
ican time, steam whistles sounjc
simultaneously with bombs of Chinese
manufacture and, from then on, the
quiet of the night was rent by the lat
tling discharge of fireworks of all
shapes and sizes.
All over the islands, in the r4motest
tarO patch, those i'm charge ad1a1 Their
quota to the noise and kept the devils
at bay. Until early morning, the htUF
of tightening, the mimic artillery kel
exploding, while towards dawn the
shOpkeepeTS. whose stores were also the
places Of their residence, added the
finishing touches to the adornments ard
placed the delicacies in readiness 1or
! their expected guests of today.
%
five toed commonly and six toed above
the imperial consulate stretched them
selves at full length on the multidue Of
banners that bore their similitude and
welcomed the new year. The lanterns
all over Chinatown went out as ;ae
electric current was turned off ana
doors We're opened in readiness for the
reception of the guests of KOnghee,
The lack of a nights rest is nothing
to the Chinese and smiles were as fresh
and greetings to friends as hearty az
fif they had not been celebrating ali
night Gifts We're exchanged cve"v-
| where and between salutatiCns sips Of
! tea or samshu. with a bite of some
| delicacy, a lychee or preserved frudt,
! We're taken. White friends and busI-
ness aCQuaintanCeS were not forgotten.
! New Years cards of brilliant scarlet
! were sent from store to store and all
! who presented themselves had the good
| things of life literally thrust upon them.
! As to the hidden domestic life Of the
! Chinese quarter be sure that i'm the
I WOmen's quarters, secure from the pro
! fame eye of foreigner and all others hut
! their own kinsfOlk and tong the women
| held New Year festival No nation IS
more generous in gift giving on every
| occasion than the Chinese and many d
! gold twenty-four carat bangle, brace
! let or ieWeled hair ornament was given
| to the favOrite wife this morning.
| At the United Chinese Society, the re-
! gular reception to all friends of the as
| sociation was held. At the head of the
stairs affable Chinese in conventional
| costume many of them. and speaking
fluent Americanese. welcomed the com
ing and sped the parting guests Every
one was i'm their best array whether of
broadcIoth of the latest cut or long
sleeved silk blOuses of Oriental fashion
The society was a reception committee
of the whole. You were ushered into
the front room. hung with paneIs oi
Chinese art and where on a stand stood
tall Chinese vases and lilies. Around
three sides stood some thirty smiline
b representatiyes of the society sauye
,1Ii+o ,,,a,,,, Of +ba,, ,,.iebfIo 80, d
. '.Happy Nev Year" i'm pIIrest Amercar
and the rest voicinp their pladnass al
} seeing Won i'm choicest Cantonese an
, some kindred dialect
From thence Won stapped into q sinai
reception rsom and excbanpad youI
card for a small scented ticket inscrfb
{ ed Win caboIigtir 0charactare ansu,ing