The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1910-12-30

ing up takes place fresh, green
branch of the bamboo tree, with its leaves and
twigs to symbolic good fortune, is used as a
buster in completing the thorough sweeping. At
this time the soft rice mats of which the floor
ing in japanese homes is made are renewed in !
order that the callers at the New Year may be
received where they can enjoy a spotless footing.
At this time, too, all matrons and maids are
busy getting ready for wear on New Years day
kimonos that shall have no trace in them or the
vanished past. To old and young the daily theme
of thought and talk is the coming New Year,
full as much as christmas" is to u.s.
Outside the houses symbolic decoration mas
hlll sway, and transforms the thoroughtares lnto
gayy colored and evergreen avenues. the tree
less streets are turned for the time being into
vistas of swaying bamboo and pine trees before
each house entrance according to the tenants
purses and taste. stands kind OF archWay. ns
, pine branches, supposedly male and female' Oh
the right and left and the tall triple bamboo
shafts Cloth trees symbolic OF longevity that -
, of hardness that has borne the storms anu
struggles of long life into rugged old age) wei
come the visitor Over head, spanning the space
between these uprights of the arch is decorat-
cd rome always of rice straw having on II various
- pendants arranged in series OF seven, nVe anu
= three Cucky numbers). The rope recalls one OF
the most revered and poetic traditions OF the jap
anese past The sun goddess, the ancestress Oh
the imperial house of the empire, was angereo
= with her brother in the ancient days and IN re-
- venge hid herself in a cave. Darkness then pre-
- vailed in heaven and over the earth Inc goos'
- In their perplexity, tried to induce her to come
mt of her hiding place But in vain did they
ennear until in dance they had arranged she
70 was induced by taunt that touched her vanity
- IN omen the door of her selfChosen dungeon. one
" of the gods then drew her forth, and, to prevent
= her running back into the cave, stretched s1ra"
rope across the entrance, The perpetual SHINING
:. of the sun. secured thereby, remains memorial
40 ized in the garlanded barrier hanging above each
,io japanese portal at New Years time
Ter Among the most noticeable and Significant CO
fects ornamenting these doorway arches IS scar
let lobster embedded among some branches OF
an bnsh whose old leaves remain unshed until after
es, the Young leaves have budded The oosters
at crooked body tells of old age bent with years
while the bush branches around it show hoV
narents remain even while children and chi
dren's children may come into being In tn
ex. same decoration fronds Of fern are placed, who's
vas pairs of leaves symbolic welded life The OF
un- anee whose color brightens the clustered syn
sa bos bears name which, as pun, means ger
for erations" and tells Of family perpetulty. Sef
weed is there, too, as memorial OF good fortune
concentrating also the prehistoric conquest
lost Korea by the Empress lingo. Her troops were
emit danger of defeat because their horses on the
YES rean seashore were starving from lack OF too
golf But. by inspiration, she ordered seaweed to 3
ioor plucked from the waters of the beach and give
to the horses. who then were so invigorated tn;
they carried their riders to glorious victor
the Gohel white bands of paper wave over the ga
ong lands of the doorway arches symbolic of the a
ould cient offerings that have won the favor of I'll
own myriad gods"
sure ,. ;,
meet Alter ousy "e0h' Vi piNp"'"N ~ -. w.,
closing day of the year comes. On New year
eve the whole country is astir and every pla
DOR that needs light for use beauty is brightene
tbo All through that night the people stay out OF b
ibt 10 see the old year pass and to welcome the ne
oT,a Merchants do not go to bed until the dawn
New Years day. All the business accounts
the closing year must be settled that night a
,oaa In every sense of the word the year be beg
But afresh among those Japanese who are guided
cows the old social order All things are made ne
tbat Bad luck, bad feelings, unsettled debts, are
to be done away with and new chapter OF
opened, filled with happy prospects. The CO
ea+s plete renewal Of oldfashoned Japanese LIE
b,r5. the New Year is well shown in one of the nan
that the day hears San Gan, The Three Beg