Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-12-31
New Year Customs in China

"Gar-ne-fo-T oy"-Happy good luck to
you, may you be prosperous, may your hon
orabe family be prosperous. and may the
spirits of your ancestors rest content is the
gist of the Chinese New Year greeting. 1t
is called from the windows, sent by mail
and messenger. and no time is quite so I'M
portant to the Chinese as the first two
weeks of the New Year festival season
This begins the last of January and con-
tinues until the middle of February
At this time of the year the air is filled
with the spirit of peace. Every Chinaman
makes an effort to pay all his debts, and
IN every home the spirit of Teasing is
abroad OF course, the Chinese do not eat
turkey as We do at this season, hut beware
how you scon at the art of the Chinese
cooks. How many of our Bridgets
NorahS could serve a chrySanthemum fritz
ter or cook fish and pineapple together in
such way that the American always asks
for the recipe after having feasted?
In all Chinese restaurants of the better
class may be found at New Year time ex-
perts busy in the surprising tasks of frying
beautiful La France roses. preparing
orange skin and nuts with which to cook
a duck.
The chrysanthemum dessert is one of She
time honOred New Year delicacies and the
dinner IS no more complete without this re-
markable concoction than an American
Thanksgiving dinner would be without tur
key.
view lear OUeTS TO tne CnlneSe the same
opportunity for dress parade that Easter
does to us. The children are arrayed in
gorgeous garments of orange blue, violet
or green, until they resemble nothing 30
much as huge tropical butterflies when
their Tapping sleeves catch the wind. The
men and women are equally gay with color.
On New Year day the various gods of the
Chinese religion are given special attention.
A table of vegetable food is set before those
who are thought to prefer a vegetable diet,
and animal food before those who are fond
of meat. When these arrangements are
complete incense is lighted at the various
tables The head of the family prostrates
himself before each image, bowling his head
three times to the ground. Mock money is
set on fire before each divinity. This
money is made in large sheets and is pro-
vided in great quantities.
Hot wines are offered to the ancestors,
whose tablets hold prominent place in
Chinese worship. The families of the
wealthy usually offer hogs head mot OF
the barrel Variety as sacrifice to heaven.
The tables containing the offerings of boil
ed rice are piled high with vegetables.
wine, tea. lighted candles and sticks of in
cense Small branches of flowers or cedar
are put in the dishes with the rice, to-
gether with chopstickS.
An almanac is always placed convenient
ly near at hand for the convenience of any
spirit bound earthward. Dried fruit and
tiny mandarin oranges are strewn over the
rice. When all is ready there is an i'm
posing display of fireworks. The head of
the family, usually the grandfather hold
ing three sticks of incense in his hands,
| kneels and offers up prayer that his FAM
lily may be free from sickness and trouble
for the coming years. The religious cere-
nCny over the "gar-ne-fo-toy" greetings
begin merriiy, rapidly followed by feast
| ing, gift exchanging and so much rejoicing
as to create in our hearts the wish that
we, here in America. might exchange our
stupid and commonplace New Year cele-
| bration for the interesting and picturesque
one of our yellow brothers in China.