The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1920-06-04
QUEER CUSTOMS
OF The CHINESE
A Child's First Birthday Is
Made Occasion Of Great
Festivities.

When a new baby arrives in China
It is the custom for the mothers
parents to supply it with several out
fits of clothing If the baby's mater
nal grandparents are wealthy it is
not unusual for them to furnish its
clothes until 1t is five or 10 years old
Though customs vary in different
provinces, just as dialects do, 1t is
common thing, when the child is three
days old for the parents to present
boiled eggs, dyed red, to relatives,
friends and neighbors, thereby signi-
flying that they hope that their chill.
dren will be as numerous as the
eggs. 1t is extremely doubtful wheth-
er anyone ever really hopes any such
thing for frequently the number of
eggs given away totals 1000 or more.
For the baby's bath, two tubs of
water are made ready, one for its
body, and one for its head. Dragons
eyes and peanuts are thrown into
he water in both tubs, this being sup.
posed to insure long life and success
in all undertakings of the child's
adult life 1t is customary for rela-
tives to drop money literally into the
water.
In order to ward off evil spirits
and prevent them from interfering
with the child's growth and develop
ment a little locket, made of gold,
silver and jade and bearing the in
scription Long life and riches" is
put on its wrist or about its neck soon
after birth, to lock up its life secure
ly. In many instances the money for
this locket is solicited from neigh
bors. This is almost invariably the
rule if the parents have lost other
children.
This locket is usually worn until
the age of 20 or 80 years and not in
frequently 1t is never taken off. 1t
is commonly believed that taking off
the locket will result in death but
this belief has never been put to the
est as Cinnamon are too superstitious
to risk ssch matters.
The left ear of boy baby is pierre
ed for an earring and he is otherwise
treated as a girl. Girl babies are
dressed as boys and sometimes they
continue so disguised until they are
IL or more years old A supersti
tious belief that evil spirits may be
deceived in this way is back of this
custom Nevertheless, it is frequent
ly of considerable advantage to girls,
as it gives them greater freedom and
favors normal development.
A month after the child's birth its
parents give what is called the ''shav-
ing feast" On this eventful occa-
sion the barber comes and shaves off
all of it's hair except a small tuft on
the fore part of the head.
At length when the little one is
old enough to play with toys the fond
parents place before it on a table,
sword, book, a pen, medicine, need
les, boats, etc, and allow it to take
up whatever appeals to it most. The
idea is that the youngsters choice
betokens the occupation or business
it will follow when it grows to ma
turity; if it chooses a pen, the sup
position is that it will be a writer;
if a book, ii will be a scholar, and so
on. If the symbol chosen happens to
be in line with the parents ambitions
for the child they are delighted but
If it chooses a symbol of calling or
trade that is displeasing they will in
sist that there is nothing in the test
anyway
If the child at any time becomes
gravely i'll its mother hastens to the
temple and solemnly promises the
gods to consecrate its life to their SER
vice if they will intervene to save
its life. Thus it often happens that
young Cinnamon become monks very
much against their will.
The child's first birthday is MADE
the occasion of great festivities. Of
ten great quantities of 'mien mood
les) are prepared and sent about to
all the relatives and friends. Sue
ceeding birthdays are scarcely MOTTO
ed until the 10th. Then great cele-
bration is held.