The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1922-05-05
China HOLDS
LANTERN FETE
Gods Welcomed Back From
Vacation BY Songs And
Parades.
BY Edna Lee Booker.

| Shanghai, April 29.-New Orleans
may have its Mardi Gras, st. Louis
its Yelled Prophet Parade, Paris its
Bastle Day, Dallas its State Fair, but
Shanghai has its Lantern Feast and
Festival.
Pink rabbits-the kind that grow
only in dreams, story books and Chi
na-exquisite lotus blossoms, red
fish, with great staring eyes; yell
low dragons, with long. undulating
bodies, and any number Of other flow
ers, fish and animals, are invading
the Chinese city and the settlement
and giving a bright note of color and
romance to gray, rainy Shanghai.
The annual Lantern Festival and
Feast of the Lanterns has just been
celebrated in China.
In the Chinese homes the older
boys made the lanterns of paper, silk,
cloth and bamboo for their little
brothers and sister to carry on Lam
tern Day.
Hold Many Superstitions.
There are many superstitions and
customs regarding the Lantern Fes-
tival, which by the way, is one of
the most spectacular of the many
Chinese religious celebrations.
The Feast of the Lanterns dates
- II. ...,,,o 4,,.o ,bOueoDd yaorc 70 tho
Han dynasty and was originally
ceremonial worship held during the
first full moon of the new year to
bring the New Years celebrations Of
ficially to a close.
Chinese also declare that during
the Chinese New Year all the gods
have been off to heaven on vaca-
ton and that on their return to the
earth the people give them a cordial
welcome by shooting off firecrackers
holding lantern professions, giving
theatricals and employing the sing
song boys to clang their cymbals
and blow their flutes in the temples
and private gardens
Picturesque Professions.
In the interior cities of China and
even in Shanghai picturesque Ian
tern professions are held. Hundreds
of boys, in gorg sously embroidered
coats, carrying the lighted flowers,
birds and animals, wend their way
thru the narrow, dark little streets
crowded with laughing, chatting
Chinese, all "out for a good time"
The feature of procession is the
great, wriggling, undulating dragon,
from thirty to forty feet in length,
which is carried on the shoulders of
boys whose heads are hidden in the
brilliantly illuminated facsimile body
of the great monster.
Bands of Chinese. costumed in
reds and greens, richly embroidered
and with elaborate headdresses, play
ing the weird, haunting music of the
Orient. are features of the process
sion.
Besides the great flower lanterns,
which are very beautiful, are trick
animals, performing horses, water
buffloes drawing water, various gods
such as one sees in the temples and !
illuminated busts of heroes of China.
and even of America
The candle-ends from the dragons
are sought by childless women, eager
for souvenirs.
Lanterns are hung on the pagodas I
which reach toward the sky like |
great pine trees, and when lighted |
the pagodas give the effect, at dis
lance of giant Christmas trees. In
the temples special prayers are offer
ed by the Tourists, and theatricals
lasting three days are held in mary
Buddhist temples.
Tourists who came to China dur
ing the Chinese New Year celebra-
tions had a glimpse into the pictur-
esque story box life of the ancient
Orient, which is unchanged by for
eign influence.