Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1888-05-05
HOLY WEEK.
ITS PECULIAR OBSERVANCE IN
MEXICAN.YUCATAN.
The Burial of Christ as Crucified
Lord, and Execution of the
Traitor Judas.
from the REooRD-UsIos's Correspondent

In this part OF the world most of the
sanctuaries, though very large, have a sor-
rowfulIy humble look, like the very peni-
TENTS of architecture, with their walls of
gray adobe, roofs of red tiles, floors of
hardened clay, bellfries like skeletons OF
bell-towers, no windows, and all their
inner treasures of blood-stained Christs,
lugubrious saints, and narrowing pictures
of martyrs and crucifxions.
But during Holy Week the most meian-
choly church wears bright and festive
appearance. Their poverty and GOODNESS,
their inane sadness and silent miseries sud-
denly give place to warmth, fragrance and
flowers. Silken banners, folds of lace and
luxuriant foliage hide the dismal naked
ness of the walls; palm trees, Instead of
bare pillars, appear to support the roof,
and thousands of tapers drive the ghostly
shadows out Of the gloomiest corners.
Where the high altar stood, a great
pyramid rises; and over the crimson cloth
which covers it from top to base, is draped
the most marvellous lace-work and en-
broidery-every yard representing years of
labor by pious hands.
The steps of the pyramid sparkle with
thousand wax lights, burning in translu-
cent globes of clouded glass, in silver can
dlesticks and golden branches and in cups
of brass and alabaster. Between the lights
are fruits, flowers, herbs and shrubs, such
as only the tropics can yield-for in this
latitude nature more than compensates for
the poverty Of the people, and is as loving
hand-maiden to assist in their pious OBJ
servances as she of Bethany who poured
the ointment of spikenard upon the Di-
vine head
On Holy Thursday, in the old Church
de Santiago, there was a representation of
| the Garden of Gethsemane. On the left
of the nave, close to the porch, space
eight feet square was marked off with
| fences of palm branches, bent and woven.
Within this garden palm-leaves lay thick
upon the ground, interspersed with berries,
leaves and blossoms of the brightest ever
green's and the flowers of the palm, in their
magnificent clusters, were arranged like
fountains in descending circles
Over these were strewn the sweetest
flowers-lobelid, with petals of ruby and
orange; lilies, white, pink and crimson;
the canary-colored plun,eria, pansies, large
as the palm of your hand, and roses in
every variety; mounds of violets and blue
| forget-me-nots; bowls and vases filled
with earth in which young rice was grow
| ing; dishes heaped with aromatic herbs
and ripening grains of corn oranges, wild
grapes, alligator pears, sweet lemons, pine
apples and grdnddetlas. In the midst of
all this wealth and sweetness of the earth,
against a broken tree, knelt an image of
the Christ Of Gethsemane, covered with
purple robe-blood oozing from the fore
head, and the pale features stamped with
an expression of anguish which the most
irreverent could not witness without emo
ton
Outside the church and crowded within
its porch, stood soldiers on guard with
arms reversed. The national flag hung at
half-mast all day over the Government
palace and other public buildings Shops,
Every body, dressed in his best, was out
from the sunrise of one morning to sunrise
on the next, for all night long they visited
the churches, carrying lanterns and hum
ming PdterS and AUeS through the streets,
going through the devotion of the stations,
over and over in every sanctuary.
Next day - Good Friday we were
awakened at daybreak by the same
monotonous rolling of mufiied drums; and
as on the preceding day, there was the
same silent passing to and fro of yelled
faces and graceful heads enyeloped in
silken shawls, the same display of droop-
ing flags and profusion of lights and
flowers in all the churches-in short, pre-
cisely the same solemn holiday as Holy
Thursday.
| Indeed, this was even quieter, or would
have been except for the metrdcas, which
everybody twirled to the top of his bent,
from babies i'll arms to white-haired grand
parents, from ragged Indians to proudest
aristocrats A metrdcd is small tow in the
form of flower, doll, bird, frying
pan, a musical instrument, and inside of it
are wooden springs, which when twirIed
rapidly give for harsh, discordant and
most disagreeable sound, intended TO
typify the cry of the Jews, Cruelty him
cruelty him !"
Even the shadows seemed deeper on this
day, and the birds ceased their singing !:
there was not the slightest sound of pro-
fame labor, and the great sacrifice of nine
teen centuries ago was more impressively
recalled by the deserted aspect of the
houses, the flags at half mast and the re-
versed arms Of the soldiers.
Soon as the sun was down and the short
twilight of this latitude was over, the pro-
cesSlon which commentaries the inter
ment OF Christ moved slowly and darkly
from the great doorway of the cathedral,
descended into the plaza and thence
through the adjoining streets. The aceras.
or pavements, of all these streets were
planted with wild canes, around which
were woven palm leaves and wreaths of
flowers, while the carriage-way between
was strewn with siempra RIA ('' always
alive fine branches of the uuca and the
wonderful manitos little hands, of the
gudrumO. The latter flowers, strange to
say, are in the exact shape of the human
hand, with four fingers, thumb, nails and
knuckles all complete.
The balconies of all the houses along the
line of march were overhung with curtains
of white muslin, festooned with Grape or
white ribbons of black satin, and at the
intersection of the streets stood catafalques
covered with black cloth heavily en-
broidered strewn with flowers, laden with
fruits and luminous with coiored lamps
and cups of gold and silver.
FIRST III the procession came Las Her
manos de la Carload" the Brothers of
Chart" in garments of white
woolen-long, loose and shapeless as
Mother Hubbards bed-gowns-each with
white handkerchief tied in pig-tail
knot above his head These Brothers
carried the various insignia of the cruel
fixion. The first two balanced upon their
shoulders pair of ladders, painted pea
green. One bore a tea-tray, upon which
was crown Of thorns; another sponge,
in a stained napkin; another a hammer
and three nails.
Then came a swarm of boys, with extin-
gulshed candles. Following them walked
three young men, in ecclesiastical costume,
| the one in the center bearing a tall, slen-
der crucifix, which was shrouded in black
velvet; while the other two held aloft the
thinnest of candle-sticks, whose tapers
| burned with ashy flame
Close behind the candles and crucifix
came four priests, marching abreast, each
in surplice and soutdne black cap. Over
the cap was drawn black hood, while
black train-the dorsal development of the
hood-streamed along the leaf.strewn
| road a ward or fun in the raar rTbo-o