Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1911-07-05

i
son. 81 tina war wheu for one whole day
from daybreak until midaisht Young AM
erica owns the country and in observance
| OF that fact makes all the noise be can. It
/ has been the time hcnored custom to do
this pripcipaliy with Chinese firecrackers
| which though they have in q measure been
| ,uperpeded by those OF American manu-.
| facture still hold 4 hiyh place in Young
Americas heart Of hearts.
II il said that the Chinese are always in
venting something to break the Christian
peace Of mind. and there are a good many
persons- pessimistic chaps, who forget
| they were ever snub-noscd, freckle- faced
| urchins. with 4 longing for compressed
gunpowder--who look upon the Chinese
| firecracker as the invention OF the evil one.
As matter OF fact, the red firecracker is
more definitely associated with Chinese
| religious obseryances than with Chinese
sport. Instead OF being the invention OF
| the evil one. in China the firecracker is
| used mostly for the purpose OF .driving
| out devils,, an employment which,
| though il may contain few OF the essen
tials to sport, it is not to be confounded
i
with the use that Young America makes OF
! tho article on the glorious Fourth. In
deed. the Chinese boys and girls are not
allowed even to touch these implements Of
religious warefsre.
Even those who are not interested in
frecrackers have noticed the little sheets
Of red paper pasted on the front OF every
package of genuine Canton firecrackers--
red peach "a per, it is called by the Chinese.
These iabels-to use an occidental BUSH
ness term - are splashed with golden
hieroglyphics. The natural inference IL
that these labels relate to the manufac-
turer; but were you to ask information
| OF denixen OF Chinatown, he would an
4 swer you reverentiy that in that bit OF red
| paper is the spirit that dwelis in all
eternal things. The Chinaman, when
| once you have scaled the barrier OF guile
| less urbsnity and almost childish simpli-
city, is q mystic OF the mystics, and to
| him that brick-red patch OF paper Ii IN
eloluent symbol. 1t il at once . charm
with which to conjure away the evil
| spirits and talismap with which to sum-
| mon the favor OF his personal and 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 peacock purple, lies so near to
the heart OF the Chinese IS red. This de-
| votion is explained by the fact that the
| peach paper represents to them the Tree
| OF Life. In associating q mystical mean
| ing with this color and symbolixing II NJ
the Tree OF Life, the Chinese philosopher
is only following train OF thought to ita
logical conclusion. The Tree OF Life is
the tree OF man, and the red Is not only
the color of blood but of universal life.
1t is. therefore, the color OF salvation op-
Grating To secure the health OF body and
soul Red. consequently. is the color OF
the peach paper that the Chinsman tscks
to the doorposts Of his dwelling in order
to guard against the intrusion of evil.
Red in fact. il used ON every ,ovful occa-
sion-at a marriage, at q feast or at the
birth Of = male child. When the new
conner ia a girl the house is decorated with
White. which ia the symbol Of mourning
Girls = re not considered Of much v.lue in
China. Red is the color OF the longevity
candles" with which the deyout follower
Of CONTIGUOUS pronitiates his ioss. red Is the
color OF the birthday eggs: the giving Of
wi ich ia q religious ceremony in China.
and the ewes Of idols are always psip,ed
red. Before this color has been applied.
the idol il but 80 much common wood or
stone: after. such is the power Of the
psint. the idol ia endowed with All the
virtue OF . nod. Red ia the color Of the
Chiuaman,s Visiting card: red is ne color
OF his pine and OF All his dearest posses.
sions.
r
Inc metnoo oy winch the Sninese oe-
stroy the malign power Of the evil spirits
is rather interesting, The ceremony il
:, .,.,,o,,,,a ~, ~. o,,h Az :, 81.
.~.ys peI.o''nsu " 'ns AN .As VI 'ne
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