The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1883-01-30
christmas Ia Mexico,

ionvi. ."i"' DoU"cou ehelf Ioll2lOuS ana
political holidays there arc scarcely left
three days out of the seven for business.
ANY prctext is seized upon to secure n
holiday. 1t will afford a practical man
much diversion to take Mexican alma
mac or calendar, wherein all tho feast
and fast days are marked with circular
red globe, on which the day of the
month is printed. As all business is
suspended, stores closed, otc., on boti,
religious and political festival days and
u Mexican won't work on a holiday. o
live Yankee will at once proclaim re,
version of the old prove,a, '"Au worl,
and no fun molsee jack ssdnll boy, ".antl
red "All Inn and no work" makes Pan
Quo poor man.
The christmas festival Of Naoiamen-
to, as it ls termed, lasts usually for two
weeks. Christmas Eve is what the
Mexican calLs Noche Bueno. The dny
OF this night you will SEQ large pro-
cession Of men and women, on horse
back and OH foot, marching through
the street. dressed IN tho costumes of
shepherds, after the ancient Acriptural
styles. This ls what ls known as the
Pastores. They will continue to march
about until Noche Bueno. When dark.
ness approaches the Pustores, and in
TACT people generally, light hundreds OF
nres Oh the hills. and promontories in
all directions. Anywhere Ill tho Re-
public OF Mexico OH Christmas Eve
night you Will see fires burning on all
The eleYa, ed points in the neighborhood.
IL is beautiful custom and has MI im
pressive effect. The procession OF Pas.
torres is also attractive. After niyht
those III the procession retire to lho
the"tre, and there is rendered the tab
Ieau OF the birth OF Christ Nuciumen-
10, with all OF its accompanying scenes.
In this tablenu, which is gotten ND
"lph gorgeous effect, little girls anu
poys tnke pttrt, the former personutlnx
anG els ana the latter devils. Calcium
hghts are burned. ALI that Is possible
Is done to render the occasion fellcltous.
Ihls performances is kept up until after
midnight, presenting all the ScripturuI
incidents Oh the occasion. While this
Ii gOlng OH III the theatre the people
outside are firing rockets-not such
large ones ,,s We have in this country.
but u small ono, with a stick about a
loot long, which Is stuck III the ground
and Il match applied to the taper, when
away 1t goes up i'll the blue vault. look
ing mucn like II meteor Ill It's liiuht.
LIE tires on the hills and hundreds OF
thcse meteor rocKols III every direction
give weird look to the night. md if
you are fortunate enough Lo get into tho
'heaCfe 10 the NnclnmtutO, you viii Dc
SILL turther iuiItry.3s ed Ntsil me Orienlal
aspect OF the festival.
Formerly on Christmas Day ibe Host
was carried through the street by the
clergy, Ill tIli robes, but now. under
the present laws OF the Republic, no
fo4ielous procession il permitted to
parade III the public street. A priest
Is hot allowed to como into the street
wearing Ills CLERICAL dress or any portion
OF 1t.
On Christmas Day in every town in
Mexico grand bunIiisllt takes place
VA Tho occ,l,lon OF the Christmas tes
IiVltles tho SONS OF the wealthy citizens
Oten take tue place of the trained and
experienced maCadors (tnose who fight
the Dulll as well ns that OF the plcattors
VINO tease and worry the animal INTO !.
frenzy Ill the Plaza do Turo-an i'm.
mouse alnphltheatre made 10 seat from
t"o To eight thousnn Persons, ucco,u
W The population OF the place. On thu,
occaslon Wien these rlcn men volunteer
10 GO tho hShtlng the proceeds from the
oAhlolIlol arc gwen to chnllty. The
USUAL prloe for The best souts is IL Quarter
reai unity cehiaj. H'iiis prize is graded
1owh l" meula (slX and u quarter
'elte), THIS latter gtylng standing room
Tor Children only. Everyone, h1yn anu
ow, rlch and poor, men, women and
attend tho Dull-light. Not
VI tho low admission. lurva
sums arc reuiizedln this way tor charity.
The mon OF wealth ut tins timo also
'iCoii throw open their l1aiatiui r,si,i,,u.
'cs ior II grand masquerade ball. An
ldmlsslon price il Charged, Music ana
supper provided. No one IL admit
ed except III mhsque. 1t is u public
lllalr III 50. No ono unmasks and tba
are donated to tho olty. rhese
'alls arc gotten up Oh II scale of nuy.
llllcellce Which would astonish our ius.
>ptfuslVo people. The Mexican ia
lotnluB unless he Is conspicuous. IL.
- I'LL tuss nnu feathers, and when be-
'Ihfls out tor snow no LAS big one.
During the lelst Of Nucrim.nio to
the ielnn.e portion OF tho community
are allowed many liberties which ordI.
haflly they arc deprived OF. Women. us
I luie, III Mexico mayo dull and une.
ventlul time. They are never allowed
10 SEQ their gentlemen friends exceu1 in
the presence Vi tho family. They never
10 nnywIlera with Denllx unless accom-.
panied ny olupurone. They have no
lete-n-tetes, no association whatever
with gentlmen, except i'll general way.
Oh Tie OCCASION ol thls feust these uu-
reasonable rules are somewhat relaxed.
At this time II lady Ill tho presence OF
Others should strike you over tho head
with nn egg blown fun Of silver or uold
powder ouch an act denotes u special
pfeicrehce and ~ tho greatest compIi-
mont Il lady Gun SHOW u gentlemanj. il
would not hc considered indecoroua.
while ut other times 1t would oust her
nor reputation. These eggs, filled with
gold Or silver powder, are called cusoer-
1hes. They are sometimes tiled with
lour and when fellow gots one of these
ntter he IL made the butt of tie eyen-
Ing. Ihe senorita takes occasion To
got cVan with ono OF the sterner sex
who may have 1T some time sighted her
ny strlKluY him, unobserved. with n
olscerOue OF flour.
AuOtner funDus o,nI1aaroonk