The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1874-01-07
MISCELLANY.
CHRISTMAS IN SPAIN.

There is no civilized country on earth in
which the children are not made happy by
the promise of the approaching Christmas.
But in every country the festival is called by
different name and its presiding genius is
painted with "a different costume and manner.
You know all about our jolly Dutch Santa
Claus, with his shrewd, twinkling eyes, his
frosty beard, his ruddy face and the bag of
trowsers with which he comes tumbling down
the chimney, while his team of reindeer snort
and stamp on the icy roof. The English
Christmas is equally well-known, and the
wonders of the German miracle-tree the first
sight of which no child ever forgets. But
you are, perhaps, not SO familiar with the
spirit of the blessed season of advent in
Southern Europe, and so will tell you some
of the pleasures and fancies of the Spanish
Christmas.
The good cheer which it brings everywhere
is especially evident in Spain. They are a
frugal people and many a good Spanish
family is supported by less than the waste of
a household on Murray Hill. But there is no
sparing at Christmas This is a season as
fatal to Turkeys as Thanksgiving in New
England. The Castiian farmers drive them
into Madrid in great droves, which they con-
duct from door to door, making the dim old
streets gay with their scarlet wattles, and
noisy with their obstreporous Cabling. But
the headquarters of the marketing during
those days are in the Plaza Mayor, where ev-
cry variety of fruit and provision is sold.
There is nothing more striking than those
vast heaps of fresh golden oranges, plucked
the day before in the groves of Andalusia !;
nuts from Granada, and dates from Africa !;
every flavor and color of tropical fruitage ;
and in the stalls beneath the gloomy arches,
the butchers drive their f1ourishing trade
All is gay and joyous-chaffering and TESTING,
greeting of friends and filling of baskets.
The sky is wintery but the ground is ruddy
and rich with the fruits of summer
At night the whole city turns out into the
streets. The youths and maiGens of the
poorer class, go trooping through the streets
with tamborines, castanets and guitars, sing
ing and dancing Every one has a different
song to suit his own state of mind. The wo-
men sing of love and religion, and many of
the men can sing of nothing better than pol
itics. But the part which the children take
in the festival bears curious resemblance to
those time honored ceremonies we all remem-
ber The associations of Christians in Spain
are all of the Gospel There is no northern
st. Nick there to stuff the children's stock
/ ings with rewards of merit. Why Them on
Christmas eve do you see the little shoes and
stockings exposed by the windows and doors !?
The wise kings of the East are supposed to be
journeying by night to Bethlehem, bearing
gifts and homage to the heavenly Child, and
out of their abundance, when they pass by
the house where the good children sleep, they
will drop in their shoes some of the treasures
they are bearing to the Baby Prince in Judea
This thought is never absent from the reioic-
ings Of Christmas-tide in Spain. Every hour
of the time is sacred to Him who came to
bring peace and goodwill to the world. The
favorite toy of the season is called "The Ma
tivity" 1t is sometimes very elaborate and
costly, representing landscape under starry
night and the shepherd is watching their focks
the magi coming in with wonder and awe,
and the Child in the stable, shedding upon the
darkness that living light which was to over
spread the world.-John Hay IN 81. Nicholas
for January.