Chapter 598 New Year
It’s the East African New Year again.
"call out……"
In the central square of the First Town, neatly arranged fireworks were lit one by one, and then instantly bloomed in the dark sky. Many citizens and their families gathered together to enjoy the gorgeous fireworks.
In the first town city without any industrial pollution, the sky is very pure, the stars are shining, and the fireworks blend into the galaxy in the deep sky, which looks pleasing to the eye.
The only regret is that there is no sound of firecrackers, so the atmosphere is still a little lacking. However, for the people in East Africa who lead a relatively monotonous life, being able to enjoy fireworks in the New Year is enough to satisfy them.
"This is the first time I've seen fireworks displays during the New Year in East Africa. It seems that the country's economic development is getting better and better. East Africa used to lack everything, but now there are so many different kinds of fireworks!"
Europe's fireworks technology was introduced from the Far East during the Mongol Empire's westward expedition and quickly became popular in Europe. Production began in Italy in the 16th century. After hundreds of years of development, it is not uncommon.
The history of fireworks production in East Africa is very short. It was only introduced in 1878. After two years of development, it began to take shape. This is why many old immigrants were moved after watching the fireworks show.
There is only one fireworks factory in East Africa, which is built in Mbeya. Fireworks are not widely used in East Africa. Apart from government procurement, almost no private individuals will buy them. Moreover, fireworks are generally only used during festivals and celebrations.
Therefore, there is only one factory in Mbeya, but it supplies the fireworks demand of the entire East Africa. If the fireworks industry is to develop, it will have to rely on the increase of residents' income or the relaxation of economic controls in East Africa.
Tonight, dozens of cities in East Africa held fireworks displays, including First Town, Soga, Dar es Salaam, Bagamoyo, Mombasa, Mbeya, Nairobi, Harare... All the more powerful cities in East Africa have fireworks shows.
The more powerful cities in East Africa are, first of all, the capital, provincial capitals, and cities with relatively developed economies.
These cities have prepared fireworks in advance. Mbeya is located in a relatively central location in East Africa and is an important transportation hub, so supply is also convenient.
As for cities and villages that are not as strong, there are also related celebrations organized by the people and the government. Of course, more families get together to eat New Year's Eve dinner. There are many mixed-race families in East Africa, so the New Year is celebrated in a proper manner.
Compared to Christmas five days ago, New Year's Day seems more festive and lively, and it is also easier to release the stress of the whole year.
This is easy to understand. Christmas is a religious holiday, and religious believers in the 19th century were relatively devout, so the Christmas atmosphere was quite solemn.
It is worth mentioning that the East African New Year holiday is connected to Christmas. Since East Africa does not have distinct four seasons, the East African government officially regards January 1st of the Gregorian calendar as the New Year.
In the West, Christmas is the most representative and important festival, while in the Far Eastern Empire it is the Spring Festival. There is no spring in East Africa, so the Chinese Spring Festival became the New Year. However, in later generations of the Far Eastern Empire, there was also the habit of translating the East African New Year as the "East African Spring Festival". Although the time is different, the connotation has not changed.
The happiest people during the New Year holiday should be the students in East Africa, because it is summer in most parts of East Africa at this time, so the winter vacation of the Far Eastern Empire turns into summer vacation in East Africa. In addition, a small half of East Africa is located north of the equator, so it becomes a winter vacation again.
Regional differences make the East African New Year very special, but in general, East African governments still formulate and establish the New Year time according to the traditions of immigrants.
For example, the New Year in the Abyssinian Empire is very different from that in East Africa, where the New Year is in the transition period between the rainy season and the dry season, which is September.
East Africa cannot learn from the Abyssinian Empire because its geographical environment is too special. The rainy seasons vary across the country, and even the seasons are different due to the distribution of the land.
For example, Tanganyika has two rainy seasons, and the temperatures in the East African plateau and plains are inconsistent. In some places with high altitudes, the temperature can even reach zero degrees in winter, so you have to wear cotton clothes to survive the winter.
Of course, the so-called winter in most parts of East Africa is generally in June and July, and overlaps with the dry season. The lowest temperature is at night, so it will feel relatively dry and cold, but you will not freeze to death.
The royal family also followed local customs. Ernst's family, his father-in-law, his mother-in-law and Prince Carl celebrated the New Year in the palace. The New Year's Eve dinner was very sumptuous, with over a hundred dishes alone.
Chinese food is particularly popular, with a wide variety of styles and flavors. As for German food, it is more supported by sausages. Various German-style sausages support the German food.
However, European aristocrats highly praised French cuisine, so gorgeous French cuisine was indispensable on the royal dining table.
Ernst used the word "gorgeous" to describe it rather than "taste", because many French foods are sweet, which does not suit Ernst's eating habits. However, Constantine and others like to eat it very much.
The Svet Palace and the First Town were brightly lit, putting considerable pressure on East Africa's power supply system.
Of course, the power supply in the Sweet Palace is usually uninterrupted at night, but today almost all the lights in the rooms and halls were turned on.
Of course, common people cannot be as luxurious as the royal family, but they also prepare a lot of New Year's goods to reward themselves for a hard year.
With the construction of railways and highways, goods and specialties from many regions, and even foreign imported products, are more likely to appear in East African stores. Therefore, the currency in the hands of East African citizens is becoming more and more valuable due to the diversification of choices.
For example, meat was in large supply in 1880, thanks to the rapid development of animal husbandry in East Africa, especially the substantial increase in the national beef supply. Some meat products that were previously rare in East Africa also began to appear, including chickens, ducks, geese, pigs, and sheep.
Food options are even more diverse. In addition to common staple foods such as rice, wheat, corn, and soybeans, millet, sorghum, potatoes, etc. are also very common. East Africans have many choices when it comes to staple foods.
The same is true for beverages. Coffee, tea, and various types of alcohol have also entered the daily lives of civilians in East Africa. Currently, tea and coffee are grown on a large scale in East Africa, and there is no problem in meeting domestic demand. As for alcohol, there are many kinds of home-brewed fruit wines and grain wines.
Other products, such as tobacco, clothing, and various small handmade commodities are also becoming increasingly abundant. The living standards in East Africa have made comprehensive progress in the areas of food, clothing, housing and transportation.
This is all thanks to East Africa's increasingly improved industrial system, not only industry, but also handicrafts, agriculture, and especially the development of traditional handicrafts, which have provided East Africa with many indispensable types of commodities.
The work in East Africa was still busy throughout 1880, with various major projects being carried out, industrial layout, inland development, etc., so it is not wrong to say that 1880 was a relatively difficult year.
The whole of East Africa is filled with joy, but there are some groups that continue to be ignored, that is, the huge black group in East Africa. East Africa’s suffering is just as great, but East Africa’s happiness has nothing to do with them.
Amid the lights of thousands of homes in East Africa, black people can only stay in dark huts and sleep peacefully. However, the East African New Year is not without benefits for black people. Many East African citizens take holidays, construction projects are temporarily suspended, and black workers can also get a temporary respite.
(End of this chapter)
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