Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-01-21
PEACE AND JOY RULE.
Chinese to Celebrate New Year
Anniversary.
HEALING ALL DIFFERENCES
Debt Paying Regarded as Religious
Duty.
LOVE MAKING ALSO A FEATURE
Early Morning Calls to Be Made
Wednesday Next-Expressioa
of Good Will
HEALING ALL DIFFERENCES
LOVE MAKING ALSO A FEATURE

| the task of preparation for the religious
ceremony OF publication, which is to occur
| next week. This ceremony Is incident to
| the Chinese New Year which occurs next
| Wednesday. and which IS to be solernnly
observed by almost every Chnamau in the
city.
There are some Cinnamon who have en-
| braced the Christian religion who may not
take so deep an interest in the approaching
holiday as the others. but, II is said most
| OF them will be found bowling before Con-
fuclus and watching the burning of in
eense next Wednesday. More elaborate
preparations for the New Year celebration
! are being made this year than usual, prob
ably because next Wednesday is to be the
| beginning of leap year and the Cinnamon
| are anxious to make good showing in the
presence of their admirers of the feminine
| gender
| No matter what the custom may be in
/ China on the occasion of leap years China
| men in this country know what is said
| about love affairs here, and many of them
| are actually praying that some pretty girl
! Will propose to them during the coming
twelve months. Next Wednesday will be
| the beginning of the thirty-second year of
| the reign of Kwong Sui, Emperor of
China, and because of the popularity of the
| emperor his subjects all over the world
! Will make an effort TO honor him. 1t is
| considered disgraceful for Chnaman to
begin the New Year with any outstanding
| obligations, and as he also believes that
|
double he does everything In his power to
make a beginning of the New Year free
kQf debt and holding i'll will for nobody
Differences Healed.
No matter what troubles John China
| man. has had during the year, he will
| strive hard to heal his differences before he
| goes to the ceremony of publication and
| worships joss. Sometimes it is difficult for
| him to forgive his defamers or to extend the
! olive branch to those by whom he has been
| DETAINED, but he is always in a forgiving
| frame of mind at this season, and is able
| to overcome all obstacles, no matter how
great they may be.
| The Chinese New Year falls on the first
| new moon after the enters Aquarius,
which brings 1t between January II and
| February 10. A singular custom of the
| Chinese is that no matter when he Is born,
| he is always a year older at the next sue
ceeding year. A Chinaman who may
| be born the coming Tuesday will be rated
| as being two years old the following day.
This is a Chinese holiday that is TO be uni
| versally observed by the subjects of En-
| peror kwong Sui, and no Chinaman will
| perform any manual labor that day, I'M
| less he is poor that he feels he cannot
| spare the time from his employment. Many
| of them, it is said short of funds about
! this time time because of the payment of
| their debts in preparation for their appear
ance before joss with a clean record. Their
| religious ceremony will begin shortly after
| their way to the joss house on the top floor
| at 31S Pennsylvania avenue. Between the
| hour of midnight and the dawn of day
| most of the residents of chinatown" and
! the Chinese merchants and laundrymen in
other sections will visit the place where the
religious ceremony is held.
Early Morning Solicitations.
Already attired in their best clothes, they
will make early morning calls upon their
fellow-countrymen at their homes and
business places and say to the host, king
hei fat ts'oi.' which Is the happy new year
greeting. Before starting out to make the
calls the children of the celestials will
PROSTATE themselves on the ground or
floor before their parents, ceremony
called pie Show" in order to assure the
parents of their love and devotion. In some
parts of China the children spend their
money for acknowledgement kam-wats,
dried perSmmon and citrOn-then boil them
and offer the water in which they had been
boiled to their parents. Sometimes clothes
are presented instead of the water from the
sweetmeats. When the children are grown
they sometimes give wine parties in honor
of their parents.
Children of the local Cinnamon will ap-
pear in all their tinery Wednesday morning
and will trudge along with their fathers,
making their annual visits, the fathers
thinking of the good that is to come to them
during the year and the little ones racking
their brains with financial problems. They
will be anxious to know what amount of
money they are to receive from the friends
upon whom they call.
Cash as Gifts.
1t is the custom of the Chinese to present
all the children callers with cash. the
amount depending largely upon the financial
ability of the host. The amount varies from
a nickel to dollar, and little John China
man loses no time in opening his package to
see how fortune has favored him. He does
not always wait until he gets outside of the
house of his host. If he is disappointed he
keeps his disappointment to himself. Never
does he show his feelings when upon open
ing the package he finds it contains only
nickel.
Children always fully appreciate the i'm
portanee of the occasion and able TO do
all the bowling and shaking of hands that Is
necessary. They feel the responsibility of
looking after their parents when making
such visits and will sometimes sip tea or eat
piece of candy, although naturally their
first thought is of the cash they are to re-
ceive. 1t usually follows that the host will
insist upon the children taking an orange,
cake a small package of sweetmeats
away with them, and in this way the chill
dren may get in supply of Chinese good
things" New Year day that will last them
several weeks.
At the house or business place of each
Chinaman there will be display of flowers
and fruits and a supply of drinks. While
most of the callers are usually satisfied with
cup of tea, many of them will indulge in a
glass or WINE, but very rev OF them VIII
show the effects of the wine when they are
ready to wind up the days calls. Fireworks
will not be used because the District law
will not permit 1t.
Notable Absences.
Several Cinnamon who have lived here
number Of years are away from the city and
will not return in time to participate in the
celebration next Wednesday. Charlie Lee
Sue. who went to China with his white wife
several months ago. has not returned. His
wife and child reached here a few days ago
and he Is expected home in few weeks.
Quong Kee, the popular merchant in
chinatown" who returned to China few
weeks ago and got married is again at his
place of business. but his wife did not come
with him. Lee Sui Sing and Quong Lee
have also returned from visit to their ma
tive land and will assist in the festivities in
eident to the holiday
Some Of the Cinnamon will make the holi-
day last for three days, but others will be
satisfied with the enjoyment of single
day. Everybody will be welcome in China
town" during the holiday season. but call
ers must shake their own hands and not