The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-02-05
CHINESE NEW
YEAR COMING
CELEsTIALs WILL CELEBRATE
BEGINNING ON FEB. IS.
Old sGrudges Will Be Temporarily
Forgotten, Visits Will Be Tx
J. changed and Gifts Will Be showered
big Feast Day Comes ON, Feb. III.

New Years is coming in a fewsweeks
in Minneapolis and all over the coun-
try. This may seem strange in light
OF the facts that the insurance COM
panies and patent medicine dealers
have nearly finished distributing cal
theless. The celebration will not be
generally observed by the residents of
Minneapolis, but every citizen of Chi
nese birth is looking toward 1t with
pleasure. e.
The Chinese New Year falls on Feb.
Is this year. There are more than 100
celestials in Minneapolis and each one
Of them is getting ready for the holl-
day: Boxes of dencacies are arriving,
but none is opened. They are careful
ly stored away to await the festivities
Of the New Year. Gallons of rice wine
are In storage, and not until Feb. II
will the corks begin to fly.
The day Of days is Feb. IT, or the
day before the Chinese New Year
opens. On this day, wherever two or
three celestials are gathered together
there is a feast. The banquet board
is laid and none is allowed to leave
it until he is thoroly satisfied. The
day. The heavy deHcaeies' being
put away and only plain fare of vege-
tables is allowed. Z. AT -16 o'clock the
first salute of firecrackers begins
This is continued hourly . until
o'clock in the evening". -
| The Chinese pay, visits. from store
| to store and from laundry. to laundry
business men among the =. Celestials
exchanging courtesies among them
selves, while those In the Ahumblel
walks Of life foregather in their owr
haunts. Every visitor is presented
with g. gift and gives, presents in re-
turn. The visitor is offered small
cakes, fruits and wines. The visitor
leaves his store and makes the round:
Of the houses of his friends. As soo1
as he has called on all Of them he
returns home, throws open. hi!
house and his friends flock in. It i:
the season Of great happiness" fol
the participants.
The wine is sparingly handled
When the average American Of 'bibu
brate the New Year he imbibes unit
he cannot lie down on an asphalt stree
without holding on. With the China
man it is different. The Festivities
last for a week, or two weeks, OR NOR
and no one proposes to go under tn
table, at such an early stage Of tn
game. The sobriety Is caused NOR
by forethought for the. morrow. thai
by an inherent desire to regard tn
laws Of nature.
On New Years Day the Chinama1
temporarily forgives all injuries an
regards every man as his fr1eno
After the festivities all old grudge
. and hates are taken u with a cheer
fulness peculiar to the Oriental ma
ture. The celebration continues a
long as supplies or conditions war
rant. They may endure a month 9
may come to a cloes within q weel
The customs and etiquette of tn
Chinese New Year are preserved q
nearly as possible in America, alth
: changes have been found necessar!
In Minneapolis there will be no visit
i. to joss houses, or professions In nor
!, or of the various deities. The soeit
+, side of the celebration is predominant
u and the mission Of every Chinaman
j. to increase the sum Of human. happ
ness for himself and his neighbour.