Amarillo daily news. [volume] (Amarillo, Tex.) 19??-current, 1912-02-17
CHINA To ADOPT
WORLD CALENDAR
Change From Lunar Reck-
Oning to be Welcomed
by Celestials

New York. Feb TO- Members OF
the large colony OF Chinese Ia New
York city are already exchanging
New Year remembrance with their
relatives and friends. although the
actual celebration OF the Chinese
New Year will not be held until to-
morrow. Beginning at m.dnighr to-
night all business will bee suspended.
and for the next twenty-four hours
lanterns will glow on the o%alconie,
and Ia the windows OF the old build
mss in Mott. Doyer and Pell streets,
Joss sticks will burn. bales of red
PRAYER slips will be consumed % APP
pease the gods. and vast quantities
of edibles most liked by Chinese will
vanish before the onslaught of the
hosts Of the chosen.
Among the sons of the Celestial
kingdom noise Is an essential fea-
ture OF the New Year festival, as IL
is OF an Chinese celebrations OF what
ever kind. Firecrackers win be- set
off In large quantities, and bombs
Will be exploded In the streets. pro-
yidinc the necessary permission Is
obtained from the city authorities.
Intermingling with this roar will be
the clang Of goncs, the crash Of GYM
balls, the beating OF queer little pig
skin drums, and shrill sounds from
harsh and untuned flutes.
No orthodox Chinaman works dur
inc the holiday season unless his
financial condition is such that It Is
absolutely necessary for him 20 do so
The time Is spent In exchanging visits
and In sitting about the festal board
which Is burdened with nuts, candles
and imported wines and liquors, with
generous pots Of fragrant tea. The
Chinese women as a rule do not par
%ticipate In the festivities. The faith
ors take their children with them,
however. and the hosts see that the
little ones are burdencd with toys
and sweetmeats.
More than ordinary sirnificaNcn
attaches to the New Year celebration
this wear. for Il II possible that b.
win be the last 10 be held in accord
ance with the ola order of things
Among the many remarkable change
resulting from the revolutionary
movement I'm China u is probable
that the adoption lf the western
method Of reckoning months and
wears viii he included. In fact. II
is reported that the cabinet at pekln
already had dccreed the adoption Of
tho western calendar. The effect Of
this change will bringe the Chinese
New Year on January ! the same as
In an othr countries using the Gre
sorian calendar
For hundreds of wears 90 mas been
the custom in China 10 reckon the
dars Of thc wear hv the lunar calen-
dar. each rvcar havinc 300 days. and
the months h9yius twcuty-nine or
thirty DAYS, as the case might be I'm
every nineteen years there are seven
wears which have thirteen months.
is not quite correct, so the Chin
adopted the cypcdiont of Slipping
in an extra month every third year
SO az to keep the seasons in place
aud the wears ruunina smoothly
The adoption Of the C@regorian cal
.udar doubtless win be welcomed by
all Chinese scholars Heretofore,
whenever q new emperor assembled
the throne tho Chinese BEGAN 10 rock
their Years am over aGain. The"
dav of the year, however, did not
change with tho coming Of a now
hut 10 became that day and
month of the first year I'm the raisu
of the now ruler For the little chin
ere sebo2lhoy h certainly could be
100 okc Go reckon the date OF an
event which happened ton or fifteen
hundred wears a-o whom he had TO.
fI.Hre out who was ON lh" throne and
the YEAR Of his reign iu which the
vent occurred