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 . of the year, commencing with theseventh Chinese month, especially the last three is a proverb current at this place, which says, fromthe commencement of the seventh month the Tauist priestsneed not buy any rice, implying that they are so constantlyemployed in the performance of their official functions thatthey need not be at any expense for food, they being boardedwhenever employed. In fact, howev
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 . of the year, commencing with theseventh Chinese month, especially the last three is a proverb current at this place, which says, fromthe commencement of the seventh month the Tauist priestsneed not buy any rice, implying that they are so constantlyemployed in the performance of their official functions thatthey need not be at any expense for food, they being boardedwhenever employed. In fact, however, they are not so con-stantly engaged by the people as the proverb intimates. Tlxanksgiving by the Use of Cakes.—This term implies thatthe performance is made in view of a previous vow, generallyby poor families, who can not afford more expensive ceremo-nies. They do not call any priest to their aid. It takes itsname, in part, from a kind of steamed cakes which are used,made out of wheat flour and rice. The whole thank-offeringof food very often consists of only the following articles: aplate of these steamed cakes, numbering one hundred and for- PRESENTATION OF FOOD. 93. PitEbE-NTlNG A THANK-OFFERING OF CAKES. ty-four, a few piecesof bean-curd, a littlewhite vermicelli, abowl of rice, a fewbaked bread-cakes, abowl of vegetablesoup, and three cupsof wine. These arearranged sometimeson the ground beforethe house or shop ofthe offerer; some-times they are placedon a flat, open bamboo vessel, several feet in diameter, whichis put on the ground. The offerer usually kneels while hebows his head three times toward these articles, holding light-ed incense in his hands, audibly expressing his thanks to thespirits for their past goodness to him, and begging a continu-ance of their favors. If the thanksgiving is tendered to thedestitute spirits in the lower regions on behalf of a child pfthe offerer, the child is usually made to kneel down threetimes, and bow toward the things presen
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