New Year's Day. The Chinese, following an old and respectable tradition invented by a confectioner, never fail to begin the year by offering to all their acquaintances chestnuts and other small presents. They kiss each other with pursed lips, but would rather tear each other apart. On this memorable day in Beijing alone 300'000 kilos of sweets and 200'000 kilos of gingerbread will be devoured. No wonder that on January 2nd all the little Chinese have a colic. But who cares.... next year they'll be again filled up with the same colic enhancing stuff always under the pretext of "traditional duty", plate 25 from Voyage En Chine by Honoré-Victorin Daumier