Social life of the Chinese : with some account of their religious, governmental, educational and business customs and opinions, with special but not exclusive reference to Fuhchau . d. The offerer takes a few kernels ofthe rice, or a cake or two, and puts them into the vegetablesoup, which is then poured out on the ground; or some of thecakes are thrown around on the ground, and a little of thewine is poured on the embers of the mock-money and mock-clothing. He again bows or kneels down three times beforethe articles, after which every thing except what was throwndown or turned out on the grou
Social life of the Chinese : with some account of their religious, governmental, educational and business customs and opinions, with special but not exclusive reference to Fuhchau . d. The offerer takes a few kernels ofthe rice, or a cake or two, and puts them into the vegetablesoup, which is then poured out on the ground; or some of thecakes are thrown around on the ground, and a little of thewine is poured on the embers of the mock-money and mock-clothing. He again bows or kneels down three times beforethe articles, after which every thing except what was throwndown or turned out on the ground is gathered up and takeninto the house, where it is consumed by the offerer and hisfamily. This ceremony costs but little money, and its per-formance requires but a very short time. Presentation of Food.—This ceremony is more imposingand expensive than the former. The offerer employs two orthree Buddhist or Tauist priests to aid him. Offerings are ar-ranged on a table, never on the ground. From three to sevenplates of the small steamed cakes are provided; also severalplates of a larger kind, each plate having thirty-six cakes, sev- 91 SINGULAR AND POPULAR VABBRHTtLtUi FOOD TO THE SPIRITS OF TUE DZAD. eral plates of fruits, a bucket of boiled rice, a quantity of bean-curd, vermicelli, vegetable soup, several bowls of two or threekinds of cake, some paste and clean water, and a sheet of pa-per placed under the table, three cups of tea if the priests areBuddhists, or three cups of wine if they are Tauists, candles,incense, mock-money, and mock-clothing. One of the priestsbeats a drum; another, standing near the table, rings a belland recites formulas. The offerer kneels down, dressed in hisbest clothing, and bows three times, muttering his requests tothe spirits, who are supposed to have arrived. The wholefarce requires an hour or more. At its conclusion, wine andsoup are poured out on the ground, or on the ashes of themock-clothing and mock-money. Some of the
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1860, bookidsociallifeof, bookyear1865
