Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-12-21
CHRISTMAS DO|AGS.
The Celebration of the Day in Foreign
Lands Described by Ladies
of the Legations.
NO STOCKINGS HUNG In MEXICO.
The Wife Of Sir Julian Pauncefote De-
Seribes the Way 1t is Observed
in Old England
NO STOCKINGS HUNG In MEXICO.
CEREMONIES OF THE FATHERLAND.
General ersys Sad Christmas With the Arctic E1pior-
srs Seven Years Ago
rcoRREsroxDEScE OF THE DIsrArcA.l

s
Santa Claus is alive and his Washington
tour will include every stocking from that
of Baby Mckee in the White House to
those of the poorest darkey boys who swarm
bv the thousands in our Washington alleys.
Tons of turkeys, great crates of geese
and hundreds of fat possums are now in the
markets, and enough evergreen and holly
is shown to decorate the Capitol, the WASH
ington monument, the White House and all
of the big Government departments from
their tops to their bottoms.
The most interesting of the Christmas
celebrations, however. will be those of
the legations. Every Christian nation
keeps Christmas in its own way, and
have to-day had a number Of interesting
chats as to Christmas in other lands.
Madame Romero, wife OF the Mexican
Minister gives me a picture of the day
there. Said she:
NO SANTA CLAUS IN MEXICO.
Christmas in Mexico is always more or
less a religions festival. 1t is in conse-
ouence of by no means so joyous an occasion
as in Europe and this country, where the OBJ
Servances parrake so largely OF q social
nature. Were a stranger to visit Mexico at
that time as the guest OF an American fam
ilv of residents there he would find the same
American Christmas customs observed. We,
for instance, would keep the day in the
same way; but you would find it different
among the pure Mexican families. They
know nothing of hanging up their stockings
on Christmas night, and the Mexican chill
dren look upon New Years and their birth
DAYS as the times when they are to be made
much of and are sure TO receive presents.
Every one IN Mexico is named for some
Saint and the favorite Saint is Guadalupe.
Still there is Saint for every day in the
year, and the Saint days are the gift days. 1t
is customary to keep hanging on the looking
glass calendar on which the list OF Saint
days is printed, and one has only to refer to
this to keep posted as to the birthdays OF
her friends and relatives"
CEREMONIES OF CHRISTMAS.
"As to the Christmas ceremonies"
Madam Romero continued, "there is a
morning service in the churches IRON un-
til II o'clock, at which time the altars are
decorated with flowers. The holiday festiv-
ities begin week before Christmas and the
Posados are observed by all families whose
means will permit. In former times the
Posados were mixed social and religious
festival. They began by a procession
headed BY the Virgin, who asked to be re-
ceived at each house during the period of
her journey with Joseph previous to the
birth of Christ.
During the progress of the procession
there is, OF course, considerable praying and
singing, after which the religious features
OF the occasion are at an end, dancing be-
gins and the merrlment terminates in a
grand supper. The especial feature of this
feast is the Christmas night salad, salada de
Ia noche bueua, made of lettuce, beets, Gel
cry and mavonnaise dressing. With this
is served boned turkey, jellies and black
coffee, the flavor OF which in Mexico is
especially delicious. This supper imme-
diately succeeds the misa de gallo, the iru-
presSive midnight mass.
UNIQUE CHRISTMAS EVE OBSERVANCE
The seventh day of the Posados falls on
Christmas eve, when the nacimento takes
place. This curious custom portrays by
means Of dolls the various races and their
occupations, the puppets being carefully
dressed alter the manner of each country
represented. Where the wealth of family
will admit of such a thing individual ex-
hibits are held. The whole is preserved in
tact Tor weeks after Christmas and nightly
exhibited 10 relatives or specially invited
friends. At the present day the Posados
contain far less of their religious character
than formerly and are retained almost ex-
clusively as social gatherings"
Ot ali the noted travellers in Washington,
there is not one who has spent sadder
Christmas than General Greely, the head of
the Signal Service. L talked with him last
ulght as to his Christmas of 1888. 1t was
spent in the miserable little hut OF ice and
buow at Cape Sabine. Cape Sabine was
reached by the party Of arctic explorers in
their southwark search for succor in Octo-
Der and on the Goth OF that month General
Greely and the men under his charge took
possession OF the hut.
CHRISTMAS IN THE ICE.
Although the scaut supply of food showed
8 steady decrease from this date, the men
one and all seemed by common consent to
buoy up their spirits looking forward to the
great Christmas festival as though it were
to prove even in that land of drifting snow
and eternal ice, time OF merriment and re-
joicing. All the while with the frightful
silence of the polar night about them, the
cruel ice king ever advancing nearer and
nearer with his lie destroying touch, the
party OF explorers were looking forward to
the winter solstice, the burst of sunlight
through the gloom which should announce
the coming OF the Christmas child, the BIRTH
day OF the Lord, the cradling of the infant
Jesus in Bethlehem.
AT length the morning dawns for which
ali have SO long looked forward, and with
the barometer at 29.95, thermometer at 35.5
breakfast is served of thin soup OF peas
and carrots with little blubber and some
Epoonfuls Of potatoes. This meal was eaten
at o'clock, after which cloudberries were
served out-two cans to each mess. At l
o'clock came the grand event of the day, the
Christmas dinner, in honor OF which brave
SHOW Of lights was made in the hut
GOT ONE SQUARE MEAL.
The cooks having been allotted an extra
gill of rum on that occasion, did their duty
biayely, Notwithstanding the great
trouble they encountered from the
snake, there being very little wind.
The menu consisted OF a fne,- rich
stew of all the seal meat with onions, little
hlubber, potatoes and bread crumbs This
dish was enjoyed snot only because of the
Eavory ingredients, but because in the diar v
OF each and all is chronicied the pathetic
fact, that the quantity for the once was
sufficient to satisfy hunger.
After the lapse of an hour, dessert was
served OF another stew, this time OF raisins,
blubber and milk. At o'clock each man
was given q cup OF hot chocolate over
which they fingered long, exchanging re-
miniscences of home, recalling luxuries oi
every description and entering into a COM
pact to pass the next Christmas together
should fate allow OF them returning TO civil
izaIion. Then followed singing, the various
songs taken from the French, German,
Danish and Inuuit. So ended General
Greely's Christmas Day at the North Pole,
the last spent by him at Cape Sabine, and
to many of his brave men the last ever spent