The Washington times., 1904-02-12

ace to make obeisance TO the EN-
peror ana Dowager Empress.
Will Visit Temple.
will visit the Man Chaong-K oon. or en-
peror's temple. At each Of these tenn
pies Will be found a model OF the ia
nous dragon throne, bearing this in
the reigning sovereign reign over the
land ten thousand years. and ten times
ten thousand years" After much kow-
towing the mandarins Will go to worship
In the temples of Confucius, Man
Chaong, and Kwan-te.
On Monday, the second day OF the
year. the officials will have further OBJ
servances They will proceed to the
temples of Lung Wong. the dragon
king Fung-fo-Shin, the wind and fire
god: Tien-How. the queen of heaven,
and Shing Wong, the protector of walled
cities. on this day banquets will be
held at which a fish called lee-yu Is the
piece de resistance. During the entire
first week the Celestials will exchange
fried in oil, oranges, wine, and cocoa.
fried i'm oil. The gifts are borne by
women called bearers of New Year
tea"
Worship of Apo.
From the fourth to the seventh day
all spinsters and married women viii
worship Apo, the goddess of the by
meneal couch. Apo is supposed to have
very peculiar tastes. In order 10 pro-
pitiate her. Chinese women contribute
sour ginger and dyed eggs as votive
| offerings at her shrines. Very rich wor-
| shippers offer a water vegetable found
| only in the Chinese Empire, and called
| tsze-kOO. This is supposedly eff1cactous
/ in bringing about the birth OF male
| children. 1t goes without saying that
| these will be harvest days for Chinese
| III F1-s~
| While the men OF Chinese households
will not worship at the feet OF Apo.
they will observe a time-honored Gus
tom which IS supposed to be all power
| full in averting race suicide" Men who
desire offspring will affiX their names
and addresses TO lanterns conspicuously
displayed in the lantern markets
| throughout Canton At the end of the
month these lanterns. having first been
lighted at the ever-burning lamps be-
fore the affairs. will be returned TO the
anxious purchaser. The messenger who
bears the lantern viii be accompanied
by minstrels and presents of a wide va
riety. They will also carry a head OF
lettuce with a burning candle projec ing
from its center. while two onions rest
at the candies base.
Old as the Empire.
Another custom as old as the empire
is that OF displaying wax figures OF
men. These figures, known as Sam
sing are clotneu IN SIX ana are named
FOX" or happiness: ''Lok." or rank
and Sow" or longevity The Sam-Sing
are placed above the ancestral affairs
Countless professions. various forms oil
gambling. and stone fighting between
large bodies OF men will be found in
separable from the celebration during
the first month OF the year in the Chit
nese Empire.
OF course. the local celebration vii
| not contain one-tenth the features MOI
possess half the eclat OF the hOmS event
| Nevertheless. the feast OF San Lin Il
| here. as everywhere. the great yearly
| event. and win be deserved as far "A.
: means and facilities and environment
will permit Business will be SUSPENDED
/ for three days. while visits are inter
/ changed. Every laundry and store vii
be open house." and in each the igur,
4 Of the Joss Will appear above tabi'
richly laden with the richest of foot
and cigars. which viii be freely dis
pensed TO all callers. At the end OF tn
three days business will be resumed
but nightly fcasting viii still be tn
~