Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1885-05-09
IN MEXICO,
CELEBRATION OF PALM SUNDAY
AND HOLY WEEK.
COMMUNICATING Christs Entry into
Observation-Disclosures OF the
I.atter-Day Azteos.

At the approach Of Holy Week-the
great fiesta time of all the year-Indians
and peasants came swarming to the capital
from every quarter. bringing palms and
flowers for the affairs. Every street and
square of the city is lined with temporary
booths and shops, set up for the accommo-
dation OF the vast concourse from far away
ranches and distant villages, which will re-
main with us during the sacred season.
Business of most kinds is entirely sus-
pended during Holy Week, and everybody
gives himself up to commemoratinG the
divine tragedy enacted in Syria more than
eighteen hundred years ago. From my
window overlooking the Cathedral de San
Domingo I observed enormous quantities
of green boughS being carried ill., and that
extensive preparations were going on-but
was scarcely prepared torthescene presented
when | entered with The throng early on
Palm Sunday. The whole interior was
transformed into forest, affairs, walls
and pillars "arrayed in living green,
floors thickly covered with branches,
and the whole strewn with flowers whose
diving fragrance, crushed beneath the knees
of countless worshipers, OyerpOwered the
pungent odors of incense. Borne by the
resisrless human tide that came surging
in, we found ourselves-despite vigor-
Gus efforts 10 the contrary-secUrely
wedged into a corner, from which
exit was impossible; but what had
at first seemed unfortunate, soon proved
cause for thanksgiving, for those Bneeling
near the aisles land none were permitted to
stand, had a hard time Of it. Ladies were
trodden under foot, shawls and mantillas
torn Off, while the palms Of the passing
multitude scraped the eyes and tangled the
hair of devout wOrshipers-whO must
have felt like saying their prayers back
wards like the inverted Scotch blessing.
Soon the packed and hushed cathedral was
like vast, moving wilderness,
Ia BIRNAM WOOD,
Swaved as by gentle wind, while the
united murmurs Of ten thousand prayers
sounded like the distant roaring of the sea.
Under each quivering tree cnelt halt-clad
Indian. his filthy rags clinging together with
remarkable pertinacity his black hair
(which is equally long and matted on both
men and women always thickly populated,
his vacant face and mild, unspeaking eyes
looking as if the soul within him had been
born asleep. Brantz Mayer gives a novel
receipt for making this numerous class OF
Mexican citizens. He says: " Blacken a
man in the sun; let his hair grow long and
filled with vermin; let him plOd about the
streets in all manner of dirt for years, and
never know the use of brush or towel, or
water except in storms; let him put on a
pair of leather breeches at Is and wear
them until S0-unless death intervene
without change or ablution; over all place
torn and battered hat, and a blanket be-
grimed with denominations let him have
wild eyes and shining teeth and features
pinched by famine into sharpness; breast
barred and brown-and if female, with
two or three miniatures of the same species
trOtting after, and invariably one strapped
upon her bacll-and you have receipt for
the typical Mexican lepero." He might
have added that this creature should be
crammed full of a certain quaint and idol
atrous piety, superstitious to a degree; ex-
ceedngly gentle and courteous withal, but
treacherous and unstable as the wind with
innate politeneSs beautiful to behold. and
the obeisance Of a French dancing-master
though in the midst Of his softly-mur-
INJURED mil qraciaS Thousand thanks) he
will
STAB Y0U FOR \ SHILLING,
But kindly wait to set up a cross over your
remains and mUtter prayers for your IN
shriven soul
Thousands of these half-naked, poverty
stricken creatures had Travelled weary
leagues on foot to fifty celebrate the sacred
season. and the palms of many had been
brought even from the distant terra cHlieitte.
Each palm was about seven feet high, far
overshadowing the Indian who held it. and
was dried and plated in many curious de
vices. During the progress of the service
the Bishop blessed them all by 4 cOmpre-
hensive 5caedicte, that this possession might
be a safeguard against storms and sickness
and all the ills to-which flesh is heir Aft
erwards the rich decorate their cGSaS with
them, and the poorest peasants the walls OF
their squalid huts-something as ancient
Druids hung up mistletoe boughS, believing
they sheltered sylvan spirits which brought
good luck to the household. At length the
priests arrived in pOmp and splendOr-a
dazzing procession heralded by bursts OF
music and clouds Of incense. while all the
kneeling multitude craned their necks in
breathless excitement 10 catch the first
view Then for four long hours we were
kept upon our knees or irreverently squat
ting upon our heels. for seats there were
none, and to stand upright during service
would have been considered most blasphe-
nous conduct, TOO dangerous for an alien
10 indulge in while the piety of this in
tenselv Catholic community was at fever
heat. 1t is astonishing how those reared in
their cradles in this faith become so supple
of Joint and pliable of muscle as TO remain
upon their knees for an indefinite period
without appearance of fatigue, while to the
average Protestant 4 few consecutive hours
of this posture is as martyrs penance
After interminable masses and much sol
emn music, censer-swinging and chanting
in Latin and Spanish, all commemorative
of Christ triumphal entry into jerusalem,
a MOST GRoTEsQUE PERFORMANCE
Occurred A pause in the deep-rolling
organ, q sudden shrill piping-up of yiols
and primitive reed instruments and line
of Indians, led by gorgeously-robed priests
and red skir;ed choir boys, filed ont from
behind the altar bearing upon their Shout
ders a wooden donkey with an image OF
Jesus astride, The cQpiCal little beast
was not much larger than a childs hobby
horse, with an exaggerated bang hang
ing over its great CLASSY eyes, and the long
silken tail of an Arabian stud fastened to
its rear, with rakish air Of kick-up-ative-
ness, and carved in the usual impossible
posture OF the sculptor imaginary charger.
The figure upon its back was gaily attired
IN white cotton, lace trimmed drawers.
flowing cloak OF purple silk, long tresses of
real hair depending from his golden crown,
an uplIited sabre in one hand and palm
branch in the other. This astonishing
appariton was hailed with immense en-
thusiasm. People Frustrated themselves
before it, bowling their faces in the dust.
crowding and tramping one another under
foot to kiss the hem Of the purple robe and
casting their precious palms before ii, that
they might receive n double blessing from
contact with the wooden hoeis
Ii Is strange but well authenticated
fact, which has given rise TO many theo-
ries. that the symbol Of the Christian faith
was known 10 the idol-worshiping savages
of Mexico centuries before Cortez brought
it to their shores. On the island of Cozu-
NAL, Off the coast Of Nucatan, several stone
crosses have been discovered which are
known to belong to a period more than a
thousand in the misty past In Yucatan
crosses have been found sculptured upon
mysterious ruins above which forests have
grown hoary and fallen to decay: and as
comparatively lately as eight hundred wears
ago an Indian prophet Of that peninsula
~. / l.