Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1889-12-19
CHRISTMAS IN SPAIN.

There is no civilized country on earth in
which children are not made happy by the
promise of the coming Christmas. But in
every country the festival is called by a diff
ferent name, andits presiding genius is paint
ed with IL different costume and manner.
You know all about our jolly Dutch Santa
Claus. with his shrewd, twinkling eyes, his
frosty beard, his ruddy face and the bag of
treasures with which he comes tumbling
down the chimney, while his team of reindeer
snort and stamp on the icy roof. The
English Christmas is equally well known, and
the wonders of the German miracle-tree, the
first sight of which no child ever forgets. But
you are, perhaps, not so familiar with the
spirit of the blessed season of advent in
Southern Europe, and so | will tell you
some of the pleasures and fancies of Spanish
Christmas
The good cheer which it brings everywhere
is especially evident in Spain. They are a
frugal people and many good Spanish fam
lily is supported by less than the waste of n
household on Murray Hill. But there is no
sparing at Christmas This is season as
fatal to turkey as Thanksgiving in New
England. The Castlian farmers drive them
into Madrid in great droves, which they con-
duct from door to door, making the dim old
streets gay with their scarlet wattles and
noisy with obstreperous gabbling. But the
headquarters of the marketing during those
days are in the Plaza Mayor, where every va
riety of fruit and provisions is sold There
is nothing more striking than those vast
heaps. of fresh golden oranges, plucked the
day before in the groves of Andalusia; nuts
from Granada, and dates from Africa, every
flavor and color of tropical fruitage; and in
the stalls beneath the gloomy arches, the
butchers drive their fourishing trade. Az is
gay and joyous chattering and jesting, greet
ing of friends and filing of baskets. The sky
is wintry but the ground ruddy and rich
with the fruits of summer.
At night the whole city turns into the
street, the youths and m dens of the poor
class go trooping through the town with
tamborines, castinets and guitars, singing
and dancing Every one has a different song
to suit his own state of mind. The women
sing of love and religion, and many of the
men can sing of nothing better than politics.
But the part which the children take in the
festival bears curious resemblance to those
ime-honored ceremonies which all remember.
The associations of Christmas in Spain are
all of the gospel There is no northern st.
Nick there to stuff the stockings of good
children with rewards of merit Why, then,
on Christmas eve do you see the little shoes
exposed by the windows and doors? The
wise kings of the East are supposed to be
journeying by night to Bethlehem. bearing
gifts and homage to the Heavenly Child, and
out of their abundance, when they pass by
the houses where good children sleep, they
will drop into their shoes some of the treas
ures they are bearing to the Baby Prince in
Judea. This thought is never absent from
the rejoicings of Christmas tidings in Spain.
Every hour of the time is sacred to Him who
came to bring peace and good will to the
world. The favorite toy of the season is
called "The Nativity 1t is sometimes very
elaborate and costly, representing land
scape under starry night; the shepherds
watching their hocks; the magi coming in
with wonder and awe. and the child in
the stable shedding upon the darkness
that living light which was to overspread
the world