The Calumet news., 1912-02-16
CHINESE NEW YEARS
TOMORROW MAY BE LAST
UNDER THE OLD CUSTOM

New York. Feb. lG.--Members of the
large colony of Chinese in New York
city are already exchanging New Year
rememberances with their relatives and
friends although the actual celebration
or the Chinese New Year will not be
held until tomorrow. Beginning al
midnight tonight all business win be
suspended. and for the next twenty :
four hours lanterns will glow ON the
balconies and in the windows of tho
old buildings in Mott Dover and Pell
streets, joss sticks will burn, bales
OF red prayer slips will be consumed to
appease 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 feature
OF the New Year festival, as Il is of all
Chinese celebrations OF whatever kind.
Ffrecrackers Will be set off in large
quantities and bombs will be exploded
in the streets. providing the necessary
permission is obtained from the city
authorities. Intermingllng with this
roar will be the clang of gongs the
crash OF cymbals, the beating of queer
little pigskin drums. and shrill sounds
from harsh and untuned flutes.
No orthodox Chinaman works dur
ing the holiday season unless his IL
nancial condition Is such that il is ab-
Cnlufalx- l,t a.,
The time is spent in exchanging visits
and in sitting about the festal board
which is burdened with nuts. candies
and imported wines and liquors, with
generous pots of fragrant tea. The
Chinese women as rule do not par
ticipate in the festivities. The faith
ers take their children with them,
however and the hosts see that the
little ones are burdened with toys
and sweetmeats.
May Adopt New Calendar.
More than ordinary significance at
taches to the New Year celebration this
year for it is possible that 1t will be
the last to be held in accordance with
the Old order of things. Among the
many remarkable changes resulting
from the revolutionary movement In
China il is probable that the adoption
of the western method of reckoning
and years will be included. In
fact, IL is reported that the cabinet
at Pekin already had decreed the adop-
ton of the western calendar. The ef-
feet of this change will bring the Chi
nese New Year celebration on January
1, the same as In all other countries
using the Gregorian calendar.
For hundreds of years il has been
the custom TO reckon the days OF the
year By the lunar calendar each year
having 36e Days, and the months hav-
ing twenty-pire or thirty days, as the
case might be. In every nineteen years
there are seven years which have thir-
teen months. This Is not quite correct.
81 the Chinese adopted the expedient Of
slipping in an extra month every third
lnd the years running smoothly.
The adoption of the Gregorian calen-
dar doubtless will be welcomed by
all Chinese scholars. Heretofore, when
ever a new emperor ascended the
throne the Chinese began To reckon
their years all over again. The day
Of the year, however. did not change
with the coming of a new ruler. but
II became that day and month of the
first year In the reign Of the new ruler.
For the little Chinese schoolboy it
certainly could be no Joke to reckon
the date of an event which happened
ten or fifteen hundred years ago when
he had to figure out who was on the
throne and the year Of his reign In
which the event occurred.