Millheim Journal. [volume] (Millheim, Pa.) 1876-1984, 1883-01-11
Christmas iu Mexico.

three days out of the seven for business.
Any pretext is seized upon to secure O
holiday. 1t will afford practical man
much diversion to take Mexican alma
nae or calendar, wherein all the 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, etc., on both
religious and political festival days and
q Mexican won't work on holiday, q
live Yankee will at once proclaim re-
version of the old proverb "All work
and no fun makes Jack dali boy, and
red cali fnn and no work" makes Pan
cho poor man. -.
The Christmas festival OF Naciamen-
to, as it Is termed, lasts usually for two
weeks. Christmas Eve is what the
Mexican calls Noche Bueno. The day
of this night you will see large pro-
cession of men and women, on horse
back and on foot, marching through
the street. dressed III the costumes OF
shepherds, after the ancient Scriptural
styles. This ls what Is known as the
Pastores. They will continue to march
about until Noche Bueno. When dark
ness approaches the Pastores, and in
fact people generally, light hundreds OF
fires on the hills and promontories III
ali directions. Anywhere IL the Re
public OF Mexico ON Christmas Eve
night you will see fires burning on all
the eleYated points i'll the neighborhood.
1t is beautiful custom and has an I'M
pressive effect. The procession OF Pas
torres Is also attractive. After night
those in the procession retire to the
theatre, and there is rendered the tab
leau of the birth OF Christ-Naciamen-
to, with all of its accompanying scenes.
In this tableau, which is gotten up
with gorgeous effect, little girls and
boys take part, the former personatlng
angels ana the latter devils. Calcium
lights are burned. All that Is possible
Is done to render the occasion fencltous.
This performance is kept up until after
midnight, presenting ali the Scriptural
incidents OF the occasion. While this
LIS going on III the theatre the people
outside are firing rockets-not such
large ones as We have III this country,
but a small one, with a stick about "a
foot long, which Is stuck III the ground
and match applied to the taper, when
away 1t goes up III the blue vault, look
ing mucn like meteor IN Its hight.
The fires on the hills and hundreds OF
these meteor rockets in every direction
give weird look to the night, and If
you are fortunate enough to get into the
theatre to the Naclamanto, you viii be
still further impressed WIN tne 0rlellIAj
aspect of the festival.
Formerly on Christmas Day the Host
was carried through the street by the
clergy, i'll fall robes, but now, under
the present laws OF the Republic, no
religious procession is permitted to
parade III the public street, A priest
Is not allowed to come into the street
wearing his clerical dress or any portion
OF 1T.
On Christmas Day in every town in
Mexico a grand bulI-ilight takes place.
On the occasion OF the Christmas fes-
tlvities the sous of the wealthy citizens
often take the place of the trained and
experienced matadors (those who fight
the bull, us well as that of the plcadOrs,
who tease and worry the animal into "a
frenzy LII the Plaza de Toro-an i'm
mense amphitheatre made 10 seat from
two to eight THOUSAND persons, accord
to the population of the place. On the
occasion when these rich men volunteer
to do the fighting the proceeds from the
exhibition are gwen to charity. The
usual price for the best seats Is a quarter
real (tifty cents). This price is graded
down to a media (slx and q quarter
cents), this latter giving standing room
for children only. Everyone, hign ana
low, rich and poor, men, women and
children, attend the bull-hght. Not
wlthstandlng the low admission, large
sums are realizedin this way for charity.
The men of wealth at this time also
often throw open their palatial residen-
ces tor grand masquerade ball. An
admission price is charged, music and
supper provided. No one ls admit
ted except Ill masque. 1t is a public
affair ; ali go. No one unmasks and the
proceeds are donated to the city. These
Dalls are gotten up on a scale of mag
nlhcence which would astonish our less
obtruslve people. The Mexican is
nothing unless he Is conspicuous. he
Is ali tuss and feathers, and when he
starts out for show he has big one,
during the least of Nacrimenio to
the tema.e portion of the community
are allowed many liberties which ordI-
narlly they are deprived of. Women, as
u lule, III Mexico naYe dull aud une-
venttul time. They are never allowed
TO see their gentlemen friends except i'll
the presence OF the family. They never
90 anywhere with beaux unless accom-
panied by chaperone. They have no
Jete-a-teteS, no association whatever
with gentImen, except III "a general way.
On the occasion OF THIS feast these un-
reasonable rules are somewhat relaxed.
AT this time II lady III the presence OF
Others should strike you over the head
with an egg bloWsl fun of silver or gold
powder (such an act denotes a special
preference and Is the greatest comph-
menU lady can show gentleman), 1t
would hot be considered indecorous,
while at other tunes 1t would cost her
ner reputation, These eggs, filled with
gold Or silver powder, are called cascer-
ones. They are sometimes filled with
nour and when fellow gets one of these
latter he Is made the butt of the even-
lug. The senorlta takes occasion to
| get even with one OF the sterner sex
who may have at some time slighted her
10y striking hlm, unobserved. with a
cascerone OF flour.
Another famous amusement at this