New-York tribune., 1906-06-24
FIRECRACKERSINC CHINA
Used for Purpose of "DriUing Ont
Devils"

DPJUS.
II is said that the Chinese are always invent
| ing something to break the Christian peace Of
mind, and there a good many persons
pessimistic chaps, who forget they were ever
snub nosed freckled faced urchins, with a long
| ing for compressed gunpowder-who look upon
the Chinese frecracker as the invention of the
evil one. As matter of fact, the red hrecracker
is more definitely associated with Chinese re-
| ligious observances than with Chinese sport
Instead of being the invention of the evil one'
in China the f1recracker is used mostly for the
purpose of driving out DEVILS" employment
which, though it may contain few Of the es-
sentials to sport, is not to be confounded with
the use that Young America makes of the ar
ticle on the glorious Fourth. Indeed. the Chinese
boys and girls are not allowed even to touch
these implements Of religious warfare.
Even those who not interested in fire.
crackers have noticed the little sheets or red
paper pasted on the front of every package of
genuine Canton frecrackers-red peach paper it
IS called by the Chinese These labels-to use
an Occidental business ter1n-are splashed with
golden hieroglyphics. The natural inference is
that these labels relate 10 the manufacturer;
but were you to ask information OF a denlzeh
of Chinatown, he would answer you reverently
that in that bit Of red paper is the spirit that
dwells IN all eternal things The Chinaman.
when once you have scaled the barrier OF guile
less urbanity and almost childish simplicity, is
a mystic Of the mystics and to him that brick
red patch Of paper is an eloquent symbol. 1t is
at once a charm with which to conjure away
the evil spirits and talisman with which to
summon. the favor of his personal and his house
hold gods.
And it IS red. Therein lies the secret of its
efficacy Red is the color of China No color,
not even the imperial yellow or the royal pea
cock purple, lies so near TO the heart of the
Chinese as red. This devotion is explained by
the fact that the peach paper represents to them
the Tree of Life. In associatng a mystical
meaning with this color and symbolizing it as
the Tree Of Life. the Chinese philosopher is only
following a train Of thought TO its logical con-
clusion. The Tree of Life is the tree of man,
and red is not only the color Of blood, but OF
universal life. II IS therefore. the color Of sal
walton operating to secure the health OF body
and soul. Red, consequently, is the color of the
peach paper that the Chinaman tacks to the
doorpOsts Of his dwelling IN order to guard
against the intrusion OF evil Red, in fact, Is
used on every joyful occasional a marriage,
at a feast or at the birth of a male child When
the newcomer is a girl the house Is decorated
with white which IS the symbol of mourning.
Girls are not considered Of much value in China
Red is the color of the longevity candles" with
tiates his joss; red is the color of the birthday
eggs, the giving of which is a religious ceremony
in China, and the eyes Of the idols are always
painted red. Before this color has been applied
the idol is but so much common wood stone;
after such is the power of the paint, the idol is
endowed with all the virtue Of god Red is the
color of the Chinamans visiting card; red is the
color of his pipe and of all his dearest possess
siOnS.
The method by which the Chinese destroy the
maNgn power of the evil spirits is rather inter
esting. The ceremony is always performed on
the twenty-fourth day of the twelfth month
which is called in the Chinese calendar the day
when the spirits are seen out" At midnight OF
the twenty-thrd day the favorable household
gods ascend 10 heaven TO report upon the conduct
of the family, and they do not return to earth
until New Years Eve, leaving their charges
meanwhile TO the tender mercies of the evil
spirits, who, in common with the good deIties,
are supposed TO inhabit the house at least six
months OF the year. As the Chinese afraid of
disturbing their good spirits in attacking the
evil ones they wait until the benign gods have
good start on their celestial journey before they
open vigorous campaign against the demons.
Long strings Of frecrackerS-big cannon crack
ers-are festOOned from the caves of the houses
and then the fuse is gnited. The entire line is
soon ablaze, the crackers spluttering, hZzing and
booming; and any misshapen imp of the night
that wrggle through the Gordon of fire is
regarded as so clever that the Chlnaman VIII
adopt him a personal god While the crackers
are booming the Chinese family will add to the
cacophonous celebration by beating gongs
drums and cymbalS; and after the evil spirits
Vanquished, balls of cOlored fire shot into
the sky, message to the absent household gods
TO inform them that they have sole claim to
the house for the next SIX months.
AS an illustration of the radical difference be-
tween two Oriental nations the red peach paper
is unknown in Japan. The japanese do not
believe that evil spirits fear red paper, splitting
! 1recrackers shrieking bombs; but they be-
ieve that the malign spirits shrink before the
unfoded beauty OF the lotus and the glory of
the chrysanthemum- The Japanese are pOetical
as well as mystical whereas, the moon eyed
gentleman Of the middle kingdom is a stole in his
symbolism The Chinaman, has one idea in COM
/ mon with the Japanese Of the old regime. how
/ ever, and that is that the blood of a foreign
devil" smeared the Intel of his house is the
/ most propitOus omen for him and his kindred
! that can be obtained and it was this fanatiCism
/ that extent actuated the Boxers In their
| massa creS a few years ago.