The Coalville times. [volume] (Coalville, Utah) 1894-1923, 1910-12-30


IN cemhcr The Amorl e
vi can Christmas shopper
W n landed In Tokyo In 9, ,zItl>ksI
~ mid.Dcccmbcr. would SS<<sL,
find crowds Of her ~ ~
otuthcrs and sisters IN spirit throur ny Y
Ing In shops decorated with tho most SGIPS :
attractive symbolic urnamcntatons q
and displaying with great skill the oZESIk
things most requisite for the coming lNGIfl
holiday time. At night. along tho ff5lf ,Sf
thoroughfaros the stranger would see VNfESS
multtudos crowded about street booths WV III
20 purchase the wares exposed there. Vk1T vi
all which are significant Of the New v IN
Year festival. and nothing else Every. IIIl
where the avenue and by.ways would Sfgib
be Illuminated with rows Of shining QIEt
lanterns, bearing trade devices and lysISs.
family crcsts. all suspended from the
low caves Of stores and houses Never -
are the streets Of japanese cities and e
towns so cnllyencd with gayly dressed =
crowds and busy traflckers as during -
the time Of our own alien. yet kindred
Christmas excitement
The specific preparations for tho
New Year begin about the thirteenth
Of the last month. Then. within every
house IN the empire. n general clean.
Ing up takes place A fresh, green
branch Of the bamboo tree with ia leavea and
twigs TO symbolic good fortune Is used as a
dustcr In completing the thorough sweeping Al
this time the soft rice mats OF which tho floor.
Ing In Japanese homes In made are renewed IN
order that the callers az the New Year may be
received where they can enjoy a spotless footing
Al this time. too. all matrons and maids are
busy getting ready for New Years day
kimonos that shall have trace In them OF 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 us
outside the houses symbolic decoration has
full sway, and transforms the thoroughfares into
gayly colored and evergreen avenues. The tree.
less streets are turned. for the time being. into
ystas OF swaying bamboo and pine trees. Before
each house entrance. according TO the tenants
purses and taste. stands kind OF archway Its
pine branches supposedly male and female, on
the right and left. and the tall triple bamboo
shafts tboth trees symbolic OF longevity that Ii
OF n hardness that has borne the storms and
struggles Of long life into n rugged old age) wei.
come the visitor. over head. spanning the space
between these uprights OF the arch. II n dccorat'
ed rope always Of rice straw. having on II various
pendants arranged In series OF seven, Ave and
three Oucky numborsl, The rope recalls OF
the most revered ANA poetic traditions OF the Jap
past The goddess. the ancestrcss OF
the imperial house OF the empire. was angered
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 Tho gods.
In their perpcNity. tried TO induce her TO come
out Of her hiding place But In vain did they
appear, UNTIL In n dance they had arranged, she
was induced by n taunt that touched her vanity
90 open the door OF her selfchosen dungeon. one
OF the gods then drew her forth. and 10 prevent
her running back into the cave, stretched straw
rope across the entrance The perpetual shining
OF the sun. secured thereby remains memorial
lied In the garlanded barrier hanging above each
japanese portal at New Years time.
Among the most noticeable and significant CD.
jects ornamentlng these doorway arches Is n scar,
let lobster, embedded among some branches OF
bush whose old leaves remain unshCd until after
the young leaves have budded The Holsters
crooked body tells OF old age bent with years,
while the bush branches around II show how
parents remain even while children and chill.
dren's children may come into being. In the
same decoration fronds OF fern placed, whose
pairs OF leaves symbolic welded life. The
ango, whose color brlghtcns the clustered sym.
bols bears name which Rs a pun, means gen.
eragons" and tells Of family perpotuity. Sea.
weed Is there, too memorial OF good fortune
concentrating also the prehistoric conquest Of
Korea by the Empress lingo Her troops were In
danger Of defeat because their horses the Ko
rean seashore were starving from lack Of food
But by inspiration, she ordered seawecd 10 be
plucked from the waters Of the beach and given
10 the horses who then 30 inylgorated that
they carried their riders TO glorious Victory.
Gohcl white bands Of paper wave over the gar.
lands Of the doorway arches symbolic Of the an
Client offerings that have won the favor OF the
myriad gods
After busy weeks OF preparation az last the
closing day Of the year comes, on New Years
eve the whole country Is astir and every place
that needs light for or beauty Is frightened
All through that night the people stay out OF bed
10 see the old year pass and to welcome the new
Merchants do not go TO bed until the dawn OF
New Years day. All the business accounts OF
the closing year must be settled that night and
In every sense Of the word the year be begun
afrosh among those japanese who are guided by
the old social order All things made now.
Bad luck bad feelings, unsettled debts, are all
to be done away with and new chapter Of life
opened filled with happy prospects The com.
pleto renewal of oldfashloned Japanese lie nj
the New Year is we'll shown In one Of the names
that tho lgy bears. san Gan, The Three Begin.