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CHINESE FESTIVALS, FASTS, AND OBSERVANCES.
Native Festivals, Fasts, and Observances.
CHINESE.
JULAI BUDHA.-Ancient festival of the prince and his officers going on the annual hunt. Also of the Julái Budha. Jan. 16th.-XIIth moon, 8th day.
LEICHUN.-Leih-chun term, or festival of Spring. This day, the period of the sun reaching the 15th degree in Aquarius, is one of the chief days of the Chinese calendar, and is celebrated with great pomp as well by the government as by the people. In every capi- tal city, there are made, at this period, two clay images of a man and a buffalo. The day previous to the festival, the chifu, or chief city magistrate, goes out to ying chun, 'meet the spring;' on which occasion children are carried about on men's shoulders, each vying with his neighbor in the gorgeousness and fancifulness of the children's dresses. The following day, being the day of the festival, the prefect again appears as the priest of Spring, in which capacity he is, for the day, the first man in the province. Hence the chief officers do not move from home on this day. After he has struck the buffalo with a whip two or three times, in token of commencing the labors of agriculture, the populace then stone the image, till they break it in pieces and many of them carry off pieces of the clay to put on their fields under the impression that a better crop will thereby be obtained. The festi vities continue ten days in some parts of the country, but the degree of ceremony attending this festival differs greatly in different parts of China; in Canton, it is not attended with much display. Jan. 24th.-XIIth moon, 16th day.
SIE TSAU.-The god of the Furnace ascends to heaven to report upon the conduct of the family to the Perfect August Shángti; hence people pay their adorations to that deity, and sié tsáu, thank the furnace. In some parts of China, this Shangti is regarded as the supreme god in the Chinese pantheon, and it is supposed the other deities derive their power and position from him. This popular superstition, though not peculiar to any class, seems most closely allied to the Táu sect. Feb. 1st.-XIIth moon, 24th day.
DECENSUS. All the gods descend to the earth. Feb. 7th.-XIIth moon, 30th day. YUEN TAN.-Yuen tán, the first morning, or new-year's day. The period of new- year is almost the only time of universal holiday in China. Other times and seasons are regarded only by a few, or by particular classes-but the new-year is accompanied with a general cessation from business. The officer, the merchant and the laborer, all equally desist from work, and zealously engage in visiting and feasting, occasionally making of ferings at the temples of those deities whose peculiar aid they wish to implore. Govern- ment offices are nominally closed for about ten days before, and twenty days after new- year; during which period none but very important business is transacted. On the last evening of the old-year, all tradesmen's bills and small debts are paid, and inability to pass this time of settlement injures a man's credit, and usually results in insolvency; while too, the custom, by compelling an anual settlement of accounts, prevents many failures. This is perhaps the reason why it is called chu seih, 'the evening of dismissal.'-Feb. 8th.-1st moon, 1st day.
CHE TA-YUEN-SHWAI; a deified warrior. Feb. 9th.-Ist moon, 2nd day. TING KWANG.-Ting-kwáng, a Budhist sage born. Feb. 13th.-Ist moon, 6th day. JIN-JIH.-Jin-jih, or 'man-day.' The first ten days of the year are named after va- rious animals, "fowl-day," "dog-day," &c., of which the seventh, "man-day," is the greatest. Some persons have supposed there is an obscure or ancient reference in these days to the order followed at the creation. Feb. 14th. 1st Moon, 7th day.
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