Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1874-12-24
Christmas in Spain.

IherS Is no ciViilZou Couutiy ob
earth ia which children are not made
ha rpy by the promise of the coming
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, twinklDg eyes. his frosty
beard, his ruddy face and the bag OF
treasures with which he comes tumo-
ling down the chimney, while his
team of reindeer snort and st-.mp on
the icy roof. The English Christ.
mas is equally well known, and the
wonders of the German miracle-tree,
the first sight of which no chili ever
forgets. But you are, perhaps, not
so familiar with the spirit of the
blessed season of advent in Southern
Europe, add so | will tell you some
of the pleasures and fancies of the
Spanish Christmas.
The good cheer which it brings
every W here is especially evident ID
Spain. They are frugal people; and
many good Spanish family is sup.
ported by less than the waste of a
household on Murray Hill. But
there is no sparkling at Christmas
This is O season as fatal to turkeys
as Thanksgiving in New Eogland.
The Castlian farmers drive them
into market in great droves, which
they conduct from door TO door,
making the dim old streets gay with
their scarlet wattleg, and noisy with
obstreperous gabbling. But the
headquarters of the marketing dur
ing those days are in the Plaza May
or, where every variety of fruit and
provision is sold There is nothing
more striking than those vast heaps
fresh golden oranges, plucked the
day before in the groves of Andalu-
STA nuts from Granada, and dates
from Africa every flavor and color
of tropical truitage and in the stalls
beneath the gloomy arches, the butch
ers drive their fourlshing trade. All
is gay and joyous--chatfering and
testing, greeting of friends and filling
of baskets. The sky is wintry 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
maidens of the poorer class go troop
ing through the town with tambor.
ines, castanets and guitars, singing
and dancing. Every one has a dit,
ferent song to suit bis own state OF
mind. The women sing of love and
religion, and many Of the men can
sing of nothing better than politics.
But the part which the children take
in the festival bears curiC US resem-
blance to those time-hoHorea cere-
monies we all remember. The as
sociations of Christmas in Spain are.
all of the Gospel. There is no north
ern st. Nick there to stuff the stock
ings of good children with rewards
Of merit. Why, then, on Christmas
eve do you see the little shoes ex
posed by the windows and doors ?
The wise kings of the East are sup.
posed to be journeying by night to
Bethlehem, bearing gifts and homags
to The heavenly Child, and ont OF
their abundance, when they pass by
the houses where good children
sleep. they will drop into their shoes
some of the treasures they are bear
ing to the Baby Prince in Judea.
This thought is never absent from
the rejoicings of Christmas tide in
Spain. Every hour of the time is
sacred to Him who came to bring
peace and good will to the worlt.
The favorite toy of the season is
called THE Nativity" 1t is some
times very elaborate and costly,
representing landscape under /.
starry night; the shepherds watch.
ing their focks; the magi coming in
with wonder and awe, and the Child
in the stable, shedding upon the dark
ness that living light which was to
0verspread the world.-John Hay,
in 81. Nicholas for ,Jnnudru.