Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1892-02-04
CHRISTMAS IN MEXICO.
The Birth G.. the Saviour Is Portrayed
Daily During the Holidays.

The Birth g. the Saviour Is Portrayed
Daily During the Holidays.
Bright lanterns suspended in the air pro-
claim the glad tidings of the holidays, and
every Mexican jacal, no matter how hum
BILE it may appear, puts out its beacon TO
light the steps of the Saviour should he
perchance appear. The story of the birth of
the Redeemer is annually portrayed in all
Mexican towns. and in symbolic Ian
guage which the most ignorant can readi-
ly understand.
The performance consists of fifteen play
ers, consisting of Joseph and Mary and the
! infant Jesus, two archangels, Lucifer and
three of his minions and a number of
shepherds. The costumes are adapted to
the Mexican conception of the characters,
and are novel in the extreme. All of the
costumes are gotten up tastefully, and
while strict conformance with the re-
quirements of the First century might rob
Joseph of his sombrero still it is doubtful
if the lesson which it is desired TO instiIl
in the minds of the people wouldOe rs eff
/ fective if all the minor details of the early
Jewish fashions were complied with.
The scene of the play opens near Bethle-
/ hem, where the shepherds are tending their
fiocks, by a host of angels appearing and
JellluS iueDl OF Jne DlTIn Oh the saviour
and inviting them to follow to where he
lay They follow the star which leads them
to the stable, in the manager of which the
infant rests in the arms of Mary and
Joseph. While rejoicing, Lucifer, armed
with two swords, appears and attempts to
destroy the child Jesus but is repulsed by
two angels who keep watch over him. Not
to be outdone, Lucifer summons three
archdemons who fight with the angels for
the course of half an hour, resulting in the
| final overthrow of the evil one and his ennis
saries and the placing of the feet of the
angels upon their necks.
Then the pastores break out into reioic-
ing, and while portion of them sing the
praises of the Redeemer who is born unto
them, others chant in harmonious strain
the goodness and mercy of God. This
feature, accompanied by music on the harp
and violin, is kept up until late hour of
the night, to be repeated each succeeding
night until the holidays are over.
One must understand the Mexican peo-
pie and their devoutness and intense reli-
gious feeling to fully appreciate how
strongly the presentation of the pastores
affects their minds. Their very souls seem
poured out in their devotions, and to their
simple minds heaven seems to be very near
Back in 1882 the story of the crucifixion
was given, but repetition of the play was
never again attempted.
A statue to represent the Saviour was
procured and the trial, conviction and final
crucifiXion were wildly presented. Then
the three days in which he lay in the tomb
were spent in fasting and prayer so strict
that every kind of business was suspended
The church where the body Law was
| crowded day and night with eager suppli-
ants for divine favorS. Old men and women
would bow down for hours beside the cot
fin in which the statue of Jesus Law and
impiore the granting of some specific OBJ
ject or request During these three days
! if a child should speak a cross or evil word
or do an unkind act it would be reminded
that Jesus was the recipient of the wrong
| IL n stone was thrown or any object touched
| violently the children were told that Jesus
| was the sufferer
| Finally the nearing of tie resurrection
came and the church, which before was
,draped in black, suddenly, as if by magic,
appeared gayly bedecked with flowers and
emblems of rejoicing. The people who for
! three days had scarcely eaten or slept, and
| whose entire time had been spent in appar-
ent real grief and sorrow, with the first
| tidings of the resurrection threw off their
raiments of sorrow and at once assumed an
expression of rejoicing and with one voice
| gave forth in the beautiful Mexican tongue
| the gladstone tidings that Christ was
| arisen.-Galveston News.