The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-01-20
CHINESE PREPARING
FOR FESTIVAL.
VIII Celebrate New Year Feb. 4 to
IL and Forgive Their Enemies.

IL and Forgive Their Enemies.
All the Cinnamon in Savannah are
agog over the approaching oriental
New Year festivities, which will begin
Feb. and continue until Feb. Is. The
Chinese regard New Year as the great
est holiday event of the year, and they
begin preparations for its celebration
weeks before it takes place.
All the Chinese in Savannah are busy
preparing for the two weeks merry
making. Hundreds of paper decora-
tons and New Year cards are being
made for distribution, many of which
will be sent to chinatown" in San
Francisco and some to the native land.
One Chinaman was at the postoffice
yesterday with bundle of these New
Years cards which he was preparing 20
Butte, and Denver. All of the cards
bore the inscriptions: Gong He F'a-
Toi," which in English means "a Hap
Ply New Year" 1t is the year of My
len-gee, or, 1900 years in advance of
the Christian era. For the time being
the Ders and the Wahs bury the
Ratchet, while they make their obeis
ance before the mighty "Ging-Hee"
and strum the "ti-boat"
With every Chinaman in Savannah
and elsewhere the ending of the old
year and the beginning of the new
one means the closing of an old exist
ence and the opening of a new lease on
life. This holds in the Chinese business
world, and all good Cinnamon square
up their accounts with their fellows at
the end of the year. Cinnamon who
engage in petty quarrels during the
year meet on New Years Day, forget
the past, clasp hands and, after par
taking of some mysterious Chinese
drink, as a pledge of mutual admiral
ton, grow to be fast friends again.
A Cinnamon who runs laundry on
Broughton street said that during the
past year several Cinnamon of
Savannah have been at odds
with each other. but that on New
Years Day they would be good friends
again. He had fight with
another of his nationality but
that they We're no longer at odds and
their differences had been patch
ed UP, in a measure. but when New
Year comes they are expected ito kiss
and make up for good"
During the New Year celebration
every Chinese laundry in Savannah
will be open to the friends of the pro-
prletorS ana occupants. chinese drinks
and foods will be distributed literally.
All work will be suspended, and the
Celestials, following the custom of
years, will call on all their acquaint-
ances. In the laundries the Cinnamon
who "washee shirtee" will have a sup
ply of Chinese nuts and candy on
hand for distribution among their
American friends and customers. Some
Of the favored customers of the first
class" laundries will receive presents
of silk muff1ers, handkerchiefs and or
naments which have been imported
from China.
The favorite laundries, where the
Cinnamon assemble, will be decorated
with Chinese lanterns and scrolls.
Here there will be mysteri-
Gus doings, the meaning of which
is only known to Cinnamon. Old Joss,
or Ging-Hee, the big idol, will be plac-
ed in position and gorgeously arrayed,
and choice sweet-meats will be tempt
ingly set before him. Cinnamon are
fond of hearing the noise of exploding
frecrackers, and they will make big
noise on the night of their New Years
Eve festivities.