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JAPANESE AND JEWISH FESTIVALS, FASTS, AND OBSERVANCES.
patriarch, and of Fung Tu, a ruler in hades. Ascension of Kwang-ti, the national god of war. 14th.-Birthday of Yuen Hwuy, a disciple of Confucius, canonis d A.D. 1530. 18th.-Fifteenth day of the ninth moon. Fête day of Hiuen-tan, the Tauist god of the sombre altar, ruler of malaria. Birthday of the founder of moderu philosophy, Chu Hi (A.D. 1131). 19th.-Birthday of the god of the loom. 20th.— The earth spirit reigns. Birthday of Kin-lung-wang, ruler of the dragon spirits of the ground. Birthday of Chiao-ts'ai, the youthful god of wealth. Birthday of Koh- hung (circa 350 A.D.), a Tanist Cauton se ph:1 sopher and alchemist.
21st.- Birthday of Tsü Shing, one of the inventors of the written character. 23rd.-Solar term, "Hoar frost descends." Sun enters Scorpio. 26th.-Birthday of Yin Che-jin, a Taust saint. 30th.-Anniversary of the death of an Empress. 31st.-Birthday of Wa Kwong, the Tauist god of fire, also of Ma Yun-shwni, a general under the god of the north pole.
NOVEMBER.-1st.-Anniversary of the death of an Empress. 2nd.-Birthday of Vaidurya Buddha. 3rd. First day of the tenth moon. Birthday of the god of the Eastern Mountain. A Tauist fast day. 4th. Birthday of General (bau, an attendant of the god of war. 5th.-Birthday of one of the Tauist "three brothers, San Mao. 7th.-Solar term, "winter sets in." Sun in Scorpio. Anniversary of the death (A.D. 529), in Canton, of Bodhidharma, first Indian Buddhist patriarch in China. 8th.-Birthday of the inferi r spirits ruling in all the various heavens. 17th.-Fifteenth day of the tenth moon.-Birthday of the Tauist regent of waters, Ha Yuen, also of the Tauist god of small-pox called Liu Shi, also of Wen Yun-shwai, attendant of the god of the north pole. Fête day of the god and goddess of the bedstead. 18th.-Birt day of the goddess Mu-shan, worshipped by sorcerers. 22nd. Solar term, "little snow.' Sun enters Sagittarius. Birthday of Hü-tsing, a Tauist ale' emist. Auspicious day for fasting and worship. 24th.--The celes ial atmosphere rises up. 25th. The terrestrial atmosphere sinks down. 28th-Birtnday of the supreme god of the five mountains. 29th.-All the spirits report to Heav n. Birth- day of Tsu-mi, Tauist star god o malaria.
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DECEMBER.-1st.-Birthday of Ma-ts'ien, attendant of the god of war. 2nd.-- First day of the eleventh moon. All the spirits report to Heaven. 5th.-Fête day of Confucius. 7th.-Solar term, "reat snow.' Sun in Sagittarius. Birthday of the Tauist Supreme God, Yub-wang Shang-ti, a deified priest, also of the Tauist god of the Western Mountain. 12th.-Birthday of Ta-yih, a Tauist star god, guardian of all sufferers. 13th.-Anniversary of the death of Kang Hi (A.D. 1723). 16th.- Fifteenth day of the eleventh moon. 18th.-Birthday of Amida Buddha. 19th.- Birthday of the Bodhisattva, called "nine lotus flowers." Auspicious day for worship and fasting. 21st.-Solar term, "win er solstice." Sun enters Capricorn. 24th.- Birthday of Chang-sien, the Tauist god of male progeny. The gods of the southern bushel descend. 27th.-Birthday of a dra on spirit of the groun 1. 28th.-Fête day of Pu-at, a Buddhist saint. 30th.- Fête day of Suryadeva, a Buddhist deity.
JAPANESE.
NEW YEAR'S DAY.-First of January.
GEN-SHU-SAI. The testival of opening all public business.
KI-GEN-SETSU.The 11th of February; the Commemoration of Jimmu-Yenno, the first emperor of the present dynasty.
TEN-CHO-SETSU.-The 3rd of November, the birth day of the reigning Emperor.
JEWISH.
The festivals of the Jews are held weekly, monthly, and yearly. Each seventh and fiftieth year, moreover, is kept with peculiar solemnities.
The weekly festival is the Sabbath, a day consecrated to rest and cheerful devo- tion. It was instituted when God rested, on the seventh day, from the work of creation, and the precept was reewed to the Hebrews in the wilderness of Sin (Ex. Cap. 16), ere yet the Decalogue had been given from Sinai. It is kept from sunset on Friday to sunset on Saturday.
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