The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1904-02-11
NEW YEAR
of CHINESE
How 1t Will Be
Celebrated
Here.
Thousands Of Dollars
to Be Spent on
Noise.
QuoN On Kwock Society Will
Open Club House-Drason
to Parade.

At midnight on Sunday matches vii
set off at least twenty thousand dol
lars worth of firecrackers, every China
man will have killed his chicken, an,
as the first explosion of the squih
splits the air thousands of Chinese
wealthy merchants and beggars, vii
raise their arms and thoughts to then
idols and pray for luck. This will start
the Chinese New Year. Not a single
Chinaman, whether he occupies the
proud position of the weaithiest Cit
zen or is serving a term for vagraucy
| at the Oahu Prison, will neglect the
day of days. If he should fail to do this
he would be a black sheep of his race.
No matter if a Chinese has neglected
| for whole year to think of the Idols
he will not forget it Sunday night; he
will burn his tapers before the altar,
if he can find one, and send up his most
| fervent prayers. Perhaps he is a Chris
! tan; even then he will not forget the
holiday duties.
| Today in nearly every Chinese store
there are stacks of f1recrackers on sale.
There are also sweetmeats and flowers
There are posters. depicting the ideals
of the Chinese. All these things will
be sold. On Saturday the Chinaman
| will have paid or arranged for the pay
ment of all the debts he has contracted
=, a.
stances prevent such payment then he
will be in keen sorrow and, according
to his beliefs, a nemesis will dog his
every act throughout the succeeding
twelve months.
THOUSANDS GO UP IN SMOKE.
People who have resided in Honolulu
for years have but little idea of the
amount of money the Chinese spend in
the celebration of their new year. If
the average person We're told that
thousands OF dollars would be spent
here for frecrackers on Chinese New
Year they would smile and ask whether
the smoke came from Hongkong or
Macao. But it is a fact. In spite of
the rather slow business year of the
Chinese they are spending their money
freely for firecrackers. One Chinese
firm has imported over $4,000 worth
this year. All of the importers have
brought in total amounting to more
than hundred thousand dollars worth.
And a Chinaman does not celebrate his
Fourth of July by sending his dutiful
son and daughter out to buy two five
cent packages of small crackers and q
stick of punk. No indeedi He goes out
himself to do the buying. 1t is NOT
sport; it is his religion. If he is a
wealthy merchant he buys cases of fire.
crackers at from 1925 to $3.50 a box. |
The boxes for which they pay this sum
of money contain single punches of
fireerackers which are huge affairs. A
So so bunch of frecrackers contains 90 |
600 firecra ckers-an on one string and !
to be set off by one lighted match. The |
buyer hangs one end of this huge string |
on the end of a pole, shoves it out |
through a second or third story Win |
dow and then permits the other end to |
dangle on the pavement outside. All |
along the principal Chinese business |
streets there will be dozens of these |
rapid-fire guns in operation. If one |
should stand for half an hour at the |
corner of Hotel and Maunakea streets
at midnight on Sunday he would hear
tens of thousands of firecrackers ex-
ploding The noise would be terrific
But it has happened here in this wise
for year after year. About four years
ago a Chinese business firm set off a
irecracker string on New Years that
had cost 500. 1t was composed Of one
hundred thousand small firecrackers
and the noise of the explosion con-
.inued for forty-five minutes.
That is the way the merchant spends
MS money for firecrackers. The poor
,hinaman, perhaps a laborer in a rice
ield or waiter in a restaurant, spends
m a similar sum in comparison to his
earning capacity. This class of man
will probably spend three dollars for his
,oise. Perhaps he is a member of one j
# the numerous Chinese clubs or So
.ieties and in this case his money will
m info the Golfers of the club and
,fs celebration will be given by the or
ranization.
Walters in the Alexander Young Ho-
81 dubbed together some time ago and
one string of firecrackers at
N expense of about $50. This montros-
~ will be their welcome TO the new
ear.
CHARITY OF THE CHINESE.
In Honolulu there are a couDle Of l
undred very poor Chinese. They are !
Id and infirm and depend for food and l
Iothfng upon members of their own | !
ace, If a Chinaman is young and I
BILE bodied there is never any excuse {
or poverty But if he is old and infirm {
his is excuse. Perhaps in his young {
avs he squandered his earnings on