A PEEP INTO CHINA Customs That Seem Strange

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 165, 15 July 1939, Page 2 (Supplement)

A PEEP INTO CHINA Customs That Seem Strange

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By F. M. PARRACK

Now |rl ii-i spend a little while li'iiniiny id t tlic iliiily li\ hi (if ill* 1 ti'iriiuil ( hincse children when undinHirlioil liy war. l'"ni-l. 1 *-f rue utate l lint boy* me (>i-i- KimiimJ In girls, as they carry mi the fniuily line, nml kpo tlint the wor«hip nf ancestors is performed in due season. 'I'hen too, jrirU require dowries, which they hike itwny with them, for the Iwnclit of I'nmilic.s other tliiui their own. So nnicli ore hoy* preferred tlint little lniy.« lire often dreooed ns little girls. That is done in order to deceive the miifels of disease and death, who. it in hoped, tuny thus pnsß them over ns of |en« necoiint. Chinenc parents nre very kind to their children. The father i« often known iih the "Severe One." It is a Confucian tradition that he should not, spare the rod nnd so upoil the child, but the punishments inflicted lire ii«ually of the mildest description. The mother is known no the "(tPtitle One." She is a soft hearted, aweet-nattired epecimen of humanity. If the "Severe One" is nbsent she nometimes lms to chastise when neepusnry. There is a etory told of a eon who wppt, not because his mother hurt him, hut been line, owing to her ailvnneed age, she was no longer able to hit him hard enough. Chinese babies have a birthday which is known as "Mun-Yunt," just one month after birth. Presents are then given, but they must be given before that day, because they might bring bad luck. Then, ehould

ally tlio.e living in inuii*. dress prac tic.ilU ihc Him., ji- Kui-Mpem, chiMri'ii. Some yiiU hnve M slit down c;irh Md<- ..f their frock which extend* I'i'om the hem iil.out .",in iipwanls. The \in\r. in t In- country, find some •il-" In ins.' in the towns, wenr their -hirlr. up round the neck, with cloth buttoiH in front. Their trousers extend iln« n to their f,.,. t u j,|, „ slit ciich ~i<l< , . the <-iime us jn t ]~. ulrps ilrc^c.s. fn former times white wns not worn ji~ it w,is suppose] to he a representation of denth. Any other colour could be worn except red hilt red wns worn on the Chinese New Yeiir'a Ony. The ren*on for thiit custom iw thnt red represents "hnppimvt*." and New Years Day is n lucky <liiy. On that d:iv money is <ri\en to them t<i buy lollies. The money is even wrnppe<l in red paper. You will, perhaps. |,e thinking that these customs as rejrard* colours, are strnnjxe. but do not we omvelves wear black to ehow our respect for the dead. Then, too, we iiisc red to represent danger. Thu* we learn that thoiii_'h customs differ, thev have their well thoiijrht out ideas'of life, just as we have. The children pet up at f! a.m. because they jjo to «e| 1 at sunri-e. Before "oinj; to school they have a bowl of rice which they Cat with chopsticks. These which nre similar to two knitting needles, are hel<l in one hand and manipulated bv the fliiffprs. Now you may think it strange to use chopsticks, but if you've tried to ent once with chopsticks. n s I have, then you'll realise that it requires much practice ami <_'ieat wkill. Possibly some Chinese children think that spoons and forks. such an we use, an- very clumsy eating implements. In fact our cutlery may evpn cause them to think of gardening tools. In the country some of the poorer people just place one bowl of rice in the centre of the table'. but the richer cln»<»ps have a bowl each. They have breakfast at 0 a.m.. at which they nil drink ten. in which there io no sugar or milk. Some of the rich jieopfe have a midday meal, but the majority do not have another meal until 5 p.m.

When tlic children return from J -clioiil «jtiiet iinc-5. perhaps, a cake is ILii\ •• 11 tii them, just as is the ca«*e here in tlii-; ('dimtry. lintli boy* ami juirU take it for granted tlia'r they "Mi«-t help their parent*, and d>> not •jriiinlilr when asked to <lo so. The girl* li«>l f> tlii'ir mother in the house. mid /iNo look after the younger i-liildri'ii. The boys carry water, feed the fowls and lm. to the market. Some. ill-". wlii»-e fathers have businesses, help them until sometime* quite late at night. JVfore going to bed the boy* of Hi years ( ,f ace or ol<ler play i" the courtynrd. Then sometimes 'li" mother or grandmother tell* stories to the children he fore thev go to Led. The children belonging to poorer families f>,, to l.e<l early! as there i* little light. Their mothers, perhaps, work till !» p.m.. ami some of their fa tiler* do not return from their l>ii<-ine.-.Mv until later still. ! In tl hlen times when children were sick, instead of being taken to a doctor they were taken to a Chinese nurse." She would shake the si,-k child's clothes in the street, sin;.r a grayer aiul throw rice to chape away the evil that is supposed to attend .-icknons. Now this idea may "fiMil i-tran<;<. hut reniemher, do we not oven tie horseshoes or clippers on th<> car. or throw rice or confetti after n bride and hrUleurromn ? So you see we. too. have a lot of stranjje superstitions and customs to which we will olinir. and some of them must seem amusing to other races. One very painful custom that has prevailed in China is that of liindinj.' th<- feet of little £ ; rl« so that they may grow to he small and dainty. Many boy* whose parents are poor ami have In rye families go to Fiji. They are of all a»tv, s<ime hoinjr only eii_'ht or nine yciirs of aye. Some of the bi<; fliine.*e firms there yi\c them free board in return for their services after school hours until S or !1 p.m. They also wash ami iron their own clothes, as well as attending special Kn»lisli cla~.se* at Iliyht. One such boy went to Fiji when only years of aj_-e. At first he worked as a kitchen boy. and later as a eookboy. He hated both positions, but kept on at them. He was saving his money and learning Knglish at the f-ame time. He i* now 21 years of aye. speaks and reads F.ngli«h very well, always looks clean an<l ta«tefnllv <lres*ed. and owns his own fruit shop. Thus we see that Chinese cliildren me trained by their parents to be honest, clean and industrious. i Finally. let it be noted, that the keynote to Chinese life is -'filial piety.'' Next week you will hear about Chinese children at .school.