Honolulu Star Bulletin. Tuesday, February 5, 1957 - Tales about Hawaii, Clarice B. Taylor
The Almanac which Chinese grandpa used was published for the benefit of the common people, to keep the exact date of religious festivals.
The first European Almanacs were published for the same purpose - to remind people of the saint's days and religious festivals.
Chinese grandpa and his forebears needed a reminder because there were thousands of gods in the Chinese pantheon - each has its own memorial day to be worship[p]ed.
The old gods are commonly referred to as T'aoist gods and in addition there are the deities and saints brought into China by the Buddhists.
METHOD OF RECKONING
The Chinese Almanac is a calendar which keeps a record of the days and months by the complicated ancient Chinese method of reckoning in two cycles, one by the moon month and one by a 60-year cycle of years.
Each hour, day, month and year has certain omens - so the Almanac devotes pages to an account of the omens.
The omens are ages old and are a result in learning about nature.
Since family life is the center of Chinese thought and action, a great deal of the Almanac is devoted to family wisdom. Parents are advised how to raise their children with homely stories which illustrate right conduct.
FUNDAMENTALS
Since the common Chinese is not expected to be an educated man and able to read Mandarin, an attempt to educate him in the fundamentals of Chinese literature is included in the Almanac.
Short sketches of the lives of men of learning poets, philosophers and the great Emperors are given.
Other sketches deal with legendary and deified persons.
Lengthy details are not given. The sketches only identify the person. The scholar is presumed to know where and how to find the details of the person identified in Chinese literature.
NEXT: Religion
The Almanac which Chinese grandpa used was published for the benefit of the common people, to keep the exact date of religious festivals.
The first European Almanacs were published for the same purpose - to remind people of the saint's days and religious festivals.
Chinese grandpa and his forebears needed a reminder because there were thousands of gods in the Chinese pantheon - each has its own memorial day to be worship[p]ed.
The old gods are commonly referred to as T'aoist gods and in addition there are the deities and saints brought into China by the Buddhists.
METHOD OF RECKONING
The Chinese Almanac is a calendar which keeps a record of the days and months by the complicated ancient Chinese method of reckoning in two cycles, one by the moon month and one by a 60-year cycle of years.
Each hour, day, month and year has certain omens - so the Almanac devotes pages to an account of the omens.
The omens are ages old and are a result in learning about nature.
Since family life is the center of Chinese thought and action, a great deal of the Almanac is devoted to family wisdom. Parents are advised how to raise their children with homely stories which illustrate right conduct.
FUNDAMENTALS
Since the common Chinese is not expected to be an educated man and able to read Mandarin, an attempt to educate him in the fundamentals of Chinese literature is included in the Almanac.
Short sketches of the lives of men of learning poets, philosophers and the great Emperors are given.
Other sketches deal with legendary and deified persons.
Lengthy details are not given. The sketches only identify the person. The scholar is presumed to know where and how to find the details of the person identified in Chinese literature.
NEXT: Religion
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