FESTIVITIES AT THE NEW YEAR.

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CHAPTER III.

New Year-Observances on the last day of the Old Year-New Year's Day-Decorative inscriptions-King of the beggars-Koo-tow on New Year's Day to the Yellow Screen-Complimentary calls and visitsSuspension of business during the holidays - Feast of lanterns Description of the same at Pekin in the seventeenth century.

THE new year in China is a season of peculiar festivity and rejoicing; families and neighbours meeting, offering presents and congratulations to one another. The anniversary of the new year is not always celebrated on the same day, being a moveable feast which is kept in the month of January; and the rejoicings are held and continued with great spirit and vigour for many days.

On the last day of the old year, all accounts are settled, debts cancelled, and the books carefully balanced, in every mercantile establishment, from the largest merchants or bankers, down to the itinerant venders of cooked food and vegetable-mongers. In every house the swan-paun, or calculating machine, is in constant requisition, to assist the Chinese in their accounts this nation do not write down figures, but reckon by the aid of the swan-paun : this is an oblong, or square frame of wood, and small balls, of various colours, are strung upon wires, and placed in different

columns, the wires being fixed into the wooden framework: the first row to the right stands for units; the next, from right to left, tens, and so on in a tenfold ratio, the rapidity and accuracy with which the Chinese calculate, by the aid of this machine is truly surprising. It is considered disgraceful, and almost equivalent to an act of bankruptcy, if all accounts are not settled the last day of the old year; consequently, it frequently occurs that about the end of the year, merchandise, articles of vertu, curiosity, and necessity, can be purchased at a low rate, the merchants and traders when pressed for the ready, to settle their accounts, choosing to sacrifice their goods to obtain the needful supplies.

On the last day of the old year, an ancient custom is observed called hnui-loo,* or surrounding the furnace, the males performing the ceremony in one apartment, the female members of the family in another. A feast or supper is spread out in great form, upon a large table, the festive board being decorated with flowers: underneath the table, exactly in the centre, is placed a brasier, filled with lighted wood or charcoal; fireworks are discharged, and gilt-paper offerings are burned before the family sit down to supper, the feast is then eaten; the younger sons attending to the wants of the head of the house. At the conclusion of the repast, gilt paper is again burned, and the ashes are divided into twelve heaps, each heap being allotted

* The Chinese cannot give any explanation or reason for this observance, but say, that as fire is the most powerful of all elements, so should be family union; and if this ancient custom were neglected evil would befall the family.

INSCRIPTIONS USED ON NEW YEAR'S DAY. 29

to one particular month: the smouldering ashes are anxiously watched, as the first heap which is consumed indicates the month in which there will fall the greatest quantity of rain, the last-the least. This custom arises from the fear of famine, as the rice crops are frequently destroyed by drought or from inundation; and the Chinese believe that they can predicate, from the burning of the various heaps of ashes, whether the ensuing year will be one of plenty or scarcity; that is, whether the atmospheric changes will be beneficial to the crops, or the reverse.

On New Year's Day, the houses are decorated with inscriptions, which are hung at either side of the door, on the pillars, or frame, and in the interior of the houses; some are suspended from long poles, which are attached to the outside of the houses: these inscriptions are renewed annually, and are written on various coloured papers, the tint of which indicates if the inmates of the dwelling have lost, or are in mourning for a relative: white paper indicates that a parent had been called from this world of sorrow and care, during the year; blue paper, that it was the second year of mourning for the paternal parent; yellow for the maternal; a very pale red indicates the third year of mourning for either, or both parents; scarlet paper being used for the mourning of grandparents.

When not in mourning, a brilliant dark crimson paper is used; and the inscriptions of these vary according to the ideas or tastes of the donor, or inhabitants of the dwelling: in some are inscribed the word happiness, written one thousand times; on

others, longevity, the word being likewise repeated times innumerable. The mottos on some are, 66 May I be so learned as to bear in my memory the substance of three millions of volumes;" "May I know the affairs of the whole universe for six thousand years; "Love your parents;" "Reverence is due to age;" "To be happy I must be just;" "I will cheat

The various monasteries and nunneries have also these inscriptions affixed to the door-posts, which usually inculcate the purity of the lives of the inmates, and the necessity all are under to support them-in idleness. At a monastery was seen, "We rely on your charity;" "Our lives are pure." At a nunnery-"Grandmothers in heart;" "Shut out from the world."

At this time in some parts of China a curious custom prevails with the mendicants, a king or chief is elected by themselves, from their own body; this monarch goes round to every shopkeeper in the city and asks donations, which if given, of a sufficiently large amount to please this potentate, he hands in return a piece of red paper, on which is written " great and good fortune," or "the charitable are happy;" this is attached to the door-post, and none of the begging fraternity will disturb or annoy the shopkeeper by asking alms. These papers are renewed every new year, and none who have them attached to their door-posts, are annoyed by the intolerable clatter of the beggars' bamboo; this system of immunity appears to thrive and have many advantages, especially at Amoy. Where there is an Imperial temple in or near a city,