This year, Chinese New Year starts on Friday, February 12, beginning the Year of the Ox. It’s also the 150th Anniversary of the first public celebration of Chinese New Year in Massachusetts. Although you might suspect that the celebration occurred in Chinatown, it actually began in North Adams, a city in the far northwestern region of the state.
Prior to 1870, there were only a handful of Chinese living in Massachusetts, and any celebration of Chinese New Year was more personal and individual, making little, if any impression on non-Chinese. The 1870 census indicated there were not any Chinese living in Boston, and there were only a handful of Chinese scattered in other communities.
In June 1870, 75 Chinese workers travelled from San Francisco to North Adams, Massachusetts, to work in a shoe factory owned by C.T. Sampson. This was the first major influx of Chinese into the state. Over the next several years, Sampson hired more Chinese to work at his factory, and nearly all of the workers remained for at least five years.
Friday, February 19, 1871, was the first day of the Year of the Goat, and these Chinese workers held the first public celebration of Chinese New Year in Massachusetts, celebrating for four days with a dinner, concert, and more.
The Springfield Republican, February 20, 1871, provided details of their celebrations. First, Sampson gave the workers four days off for their celebrations. Second, the band, composed of three drums, three gongs, and cymbals, had practiced for only two weeks but were said to have sounded quite professional and good. Third, the Chinese invited about 200 guests, including clergy, Sunday school teachers, and others who had been kind to them over the past year, to a special dinner, mostly American dishes cooked by the Chinese workers.
After dinner, once all the guests had departed, the Chinese workers returned to their own mess hall to have their own feast, which probably included a number of Chinese dishes. They also set off some fireworks. On Saturday, they had intended to hold a parade, marching through the streets with their band, balloons and lanterns, but it was too rainy. They hoped to reschedule the parade for Monday, but that didn’t happen either.
On Sunday, the Chinese were excused from attending Sunday school, and instead, they had their first experience on ice and were said not to be too graceful on the slick surface. Finally, on Monday, they created presents of fruits, flowers, cake, and more, at the different residences of their friends.
During the rest of the 1870s, their New Year celebrations never approached the same level as in 1871. The celebrations became more sedate and smaller, and the Springfield Republican, February 9, 1875, provided a possible rationale, that “these ‘Americanized Celestials’…are fast giving up the traditions and customs of their countrymen and adopting the ideas of our own people.”
In 1880, all of the Chinese workers left North Adams, moving elsewhere. This year was also notable in New York City, as it was the first year that Chinese New Year was publicly celebrated there. In Boston at this time, there were about 120-200 Chinese living in the city, though Chinatown hadn’t been established yet.
In 1881, Chinese New Year began on January 30, ushering in the Year of the Snake, and the Boston Globe, January 30, 1881 published an article about the celebrations, noting, “In Boston, where the number of Chinamen is small, no attempt, of course, is made at a celebration of the day, its observance mainly confined to a general ‘visiting round,’ the peculiar hand-shaking, and perhaps a little extra allowance of opium.”
In 1883, Chinese New Year began on February 8, ushering in the Year of the Goat, and the Boston Globe, February 7, 1883, ran another article about the holiday, stating, “In Boston the work about the laundries is not suspended for any length of time. The proprietors of many of our laundries have prepared feasts of Chinese food, and the days is largely spent in visiting about.” So, the celebrations were still more personal, without any significant public display. It was also quietly observed in 1884, though this was also the year when their settlements on Harrison Avenue became known as Chinatown.
In 1885, Chinese New Year began on February 15, ushering in the Year of the Rooster, and it was the first year that the celebration in Chinatown was more of a public event. For the first time, the Chinese sought permission to use fireworks for the start of their celebration, but they were denied permission. However, before the end of the celebratory period, the Chinese were able to get permission so they could set off fireworks for the end of Chinese New Year.
The Chinese spent $1400 on the fireworks (about $37,500 in today’s dollars) and set them off over the course of two hours, taking an occasional pause to allow horse-pulled cars to pass. Police officers were on hand to keep order, while there were firemen present to ensure no fires went out of control. Fortunately, there weren’t any problems in either regard. After the fireworks, the Chinese adjourned to the second story of a grocery store where a lavish banquet took place. Later that night, the Chinese played a variety of games while a Chinese orchestra played.
For the rest of the 1880s, Chinese New Year celebrations in Chinatown were significant public events, and the only complaints voiced by non-Chinese were the loud noise they sometimes generated, primarily from fireworks and Chinese music. There were not any complaints about excessive drinking or crime, and Americans had no problem with loud fireworks on their own holiday, the 4th of July.
Gong hei fat choy! Happy Chinese New Year and hopefully the Year of the Ox brings you health, prosperity, and much happiness.
For more information on historical Chinese New Year celebrations in Massachusetts, you may read Richard Auffrey’s longer article at: https://passionatefoodie.blogspot.com/2021/01/a-historic-look-at-chinese-new-year-in.html
To read this article in Chinese (Traditional), please click here.
