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Show The Chinese Christmas 6ST f ASTER 30(1 rnoccl of ten thou-sand thou-sand ccnturlca" Is tho In-acrlptlon In-acrlptlon you read on tha front of Confucius' temple, for hla name Indeed meanB master. Ho wan born Into thin world twenty-nve twenty-nve hundred years ago!n ho village of KJon-lao, which means "the round hill." This village Is purl of tho province prov-ince of Chang-Ions-, which ajolns Peklnsr. Hla parents havlnc been childless for many years and doslrlr.s ?. son, they offered a sacrifice. On tho mountain moun-tain NsnJ-KIeon they placed a whole cooked chicken. At tho aide of thl.i, on a. tripod, they placed an Incense burner, fined with burning aromatic sandal wood. Now. shortly after this thero appeared ap-peared In, the hamlet of Kleoull an animal called Jcl-Ilnp. It vas a kind of unicorn, but covered with scaler) like a fleh. It carried a book In which was announced the comlns birth of Confucius, the Reformer of tho World. It was a wonderful mlrnclo. And when he was born spirits were heard olnp-Ing olnp-Ing In tho air and on hli; breast were written theso words: "This Is Ho who haa come to regenerate tha world." This was the event th Anniversary of which I celebrated annually on th fourth of December. It la the great official, festival of the State, which Is celebrated with great and solemn Pltndor: savants and civil officials adore Confucius aa If he w-re a God. for Confucius Is considered divine by the emperors, the aona of heaven, who hold the power to deity. Thirty days previous the preparation- begin. First the front o' the tvmplc Is covered with red silk, for rod Is the color of the festival, while tho Interior Is hunt? with unnumerable ribbons rib-bons on which are printed eulogies of the dftlfled. and from all the ceilings are upenled lanterns of art kinds of shapes, covered with silk. "When tho irreat day approaches, a cow, a sheep, and a. pig are slaughtered, slaught-ered, their bowels taken out and on the evening before the festival they arc placed on a trefjtle in front of the altar. Before that, elsht youns peoplo have practiced chanting Confuchir.' hymn and twenty-four othorn have rehearsed tho sucred dance to bo performed In front of tho altar on tho tablet on which are written the titles craned Confuclua by the oons of heaven. Below Be-low this tablet are his mancn who ac-cept' ac-cept' honors and sacrifices. Melodious and nwect sounds of, eight flutes accompany this chant and make a profound lmpreaslon. Two enormous and richly ornamented torches burn on the altar and fill the air with aromatic aro-matic fragrance Tears are fallng from tba eyes of ell those present. Then there la the dance. Twenty-four Twenty-four young people perform It In the courtyard in front of the altar. In couples, dressed llko warriors from Confucius time. LJnlns up In front of the altar they prostrate themselves three times, ac companied by the sound of bamboo fluter. which play Incessantly. This Is the end of thia part of the ceremony and tbe day ends with a feast In the aide halls of the tcrr.ple at which are served the meats offered to Confucius' mane. The next day comcc the solemn procession pro-cession and performance. Thi: theaim l built at the end of the court of honor, opposite the altar. The procession walks through the' itreete of the village. In front ride a score of horsemen armed with lances, as they were at the time of Confucius. Then a crowd afoot, carrying banncro covered with Inscriptions, multi-colored lanterns on long sticks, red silk parasols. para-sols. lgns of Confucius' high dignity Jn the government of Lou. which at his time was a vassal statw |