Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-12-28
'ndence OF THE EVENING STAR


New Years eve and day are occasions of scarcely
less importance than Christmas. The decora-
tons of the latter season still remain in the
magnificent cathedral and all the many other
great churches. Again these sacred edifices
are crowded to repletion on New Year morning
with devout worshipers, masses being sung at
various hours from long before daylight until
noon. Not to attend mass on New Year morn
ing Is considered very bad beginning for the
new year, and TO absent oneself is thought GER
tam to entail misfortune throughout the whole
OF the succeeding twelvemonth. The vigil
OF New Year eve is largely observed here, and
threngs OF kneelinG worshipers are to be seen
throughout the night IN all the churches The
exchanging OF visits and presents is quite
general. A stranger calling at any Spanish
dwelling on New Years day is made heartily
welcome. The freedom of the house is imme-
diately offered TO him in that courtly Spanish
phrase, . Mi casa esta a su disposition" (Ay
house is at your disposa).
SPANISH HOME.
1t must be confessed, however, that Span
iards know little Of what we call the comforts
OF home. They do not attach TO that last word
and to the place it designates those warm feel
lngs which they excite in the breast of an
American or an Englishman. They do not live
III their houses but in public. They take meas
ures accordingly and act logically upon this
principle.
AriStocratic and wealthy householders who
nave travelled and seen life in other coun-
tries are largely European in their homes and
mode OF life. Offering little or no room for OBJ
serVatlCn. But even among that class il is the
suite OF rooms allotted to the reception of Wis
itors which alone attract the attention and care
OF the master. Rich furniture and every re-
hnement Of luxury are there united while the
apartments designed for the daily occupation
OF the family are mean, untidy and i'll FURNISHED
10 the last degree.
The travelled portion of society nat
uraiiy aspire to the improvements they
notice abroad and endeavor to realize
them In their own persons and houses.
put tne great majority live on as their fore
fathers did before them. Food of a very
pia1n description, roof to shelter them and
pea to steep in comprise their domestic vo-
caDulary, nor are they at all fastidiuus about
the quality of these requisites Men with an
annual income OF from 5000 to 6,0OO pesos
ldo1iars) Will live on the first or second
moor OF al apartment house (most dwellings in
Seville are of that character) in four or five
rooms, Kitchen included.
In most of the houses at which one makes his
New Years calls he finds the tiled floor covered
by coarse mating. Window curtains are a
comparatively recent innovation. Upholstered
furniture Is found only in the homes of the
highest aristocracy. The chairs are of var
There
is chest of drawers and the well whitewashed
walls are adorned with highly colored prints of
the virgin. the Savior the holy family saints
angels and kindred sacred personages. The
owner OF all these treasures. who seldom ex-
ceeis dollar or two per day in his household
expenses, including two SERVANTS man and
maid
EXHIBITS HIS APARTMENTS
with pride and satisfaction to all his New Year
callers. each one of whom is made to inspect
every ROOM though he has seen them all MANY
times before. Here, my friend" says our
host. Il am very we'll off indeed In winter
the sun shines upon me from nine in the morn
ing until he sets Where else could be so
comfortable? Then. i'll summer, the sun bears
upon this corner window for an hour. No
money can adequately pay for apartments like
this"
by singular contrast this same individual
VIII give fifteen or twenty pesos at mass on
New Year morning and will spend two or three
times that sum to provide New Years COLA
tlon Tor his friends, which is set out in his
rooms from early morning until late at night
on New Year day. This New Year repast. of
which every caller is bound in courtesy to par
take, comprises substantial soup of bread or
vermlcelI. maccaroni or rice, mixed with the
livers of fowls chopped into very small pieces;
the cocldo or puchero. of which beef, fowl and
bacon are the ingredients; ricos garbanzos
trich pea beans); fiery-looking sausage from
Estremadura; principles or roasts of veal or
goat-the latter being favorite meat through
out Spain.
On New Years eve in almost every house in
Seville there are gathered together few
friends to echar ell apO, or to shove out the
year."
A TERTULIA
These persons are all members of the same
tertulia or circle of acquaintance and the
house at which they are gathered is that of the
of the tertuia and is open to them on
every night III tie year il they choose to call SO
often, which many of them do In return for
this privilege the Spanish hostess expects all
her tertulianos and tertulanas to visit her
house on the last night of the year. This New
Years eve call is much more obligatory than
the call on New Years day and to omit it is
considered a very gross breach both of courtesy
and friendship. No place in the world affords
greater social freedom than Spanish tertuIia
on New Years eve. The Spaniards are a polite
and social people in all cases where there is
nothing to arouse their jealousy. Any one who
Is affable and well dressed is welcome in a
Spanish tertulia on the last night of the year if
he be presented by any one known to the mas
ter Of the house and if he evince no likelihood
of competition or rivalry with the latter in his
business or political career.
The hour of assembling is generally from 10
to IL, though there are some amigos de casa
friends of the household) who drop in much
earlier.
The Spaniards are much more rational in
their mode Of entertaining friends than the
people of the United States. When a Spanish
lady opens her house to company on New
Years eve she does not incur heavy expense
for the refreshmeut of her guests She simply
provides glasses of sparkling water or sangria,
a mixture OF water, lemon juice, wine and
sugar, and yolados, which are porous sticks of
sugar favored with lemon Juice
and dissolving readily in water. thereby max
ing grateful and refreshing drink. She thus
saves her friends from the tempta-
ton to Cypress their digestive organs and to
say the next morning that her refreshments
were not fit to eat. When the guests have as
sembled, when their wraps have been duly laid
aside and when the customary kisses of greet
ing have been exchanged by the ladies, CONVEX
satiOn is heard on all Sides
AN EVENING GATHERING.
GOOD evening, Conchita, and what kind of
a welcome will you give to the New Year?"
"a very hearty one, signor, if it will make
me as happy as the old one has done, and feel
sure it will, for papa has promised to take me
to the bull fight tomorrow, and that will be
good beginning for years enjoyment"
"Juanlta, are you going to the cathedral
(mass) at daybreak tomorrow? presume that
odious Dolores Ribera will be there, as she was
last New Years, tricked out in a majas dress,
with trimmings OF the richest cut velvet and
SILK embroidery, studded with beads, the most
expensive diamond ornaments, and a mantilla
What bad taste to dress SO extravagantly at
church, where one should make a point of
showing ones humility"
'HOW is this?" said n merrv-facad sfouf ms N |