The Weiser signal. [volume] (Weiser, Idaho) 1890-1904, 1899-12-28

was a special service held In the great
Cathedral Of San Ignatius for the sol
diers of the American army. There was
a grand solemn high mass, and Rev. Fa-
Their McKinnin of the First California
conducted the services The great
cathedral was crowded. There were
profuse decorations for the OCCASION and
the great paintings and fine statuary.
which since the surrender of the city
have been stored away owing to the oc-
cupation of the church as barracks by
the Spanish prisoners. were brought
forth There were services in the diff
ferent other churches. and these were
also attended by our soldiers.
The principal feature of the day. how
ever. was the dinner. and every COM
mand had a change from the plain bill
of fare provided by Uncle Sam to some
thing more palatable and appetizing. 1t
had been long time since the men had
partaken of a meal under something
like civilized surroundings, and there
were many things to make Christmas
dinner enjoyable.
Christmas day here in the Philippines
could not have been more perfect. The
weather was fine. In the morning there
were cooling breezes. and later the sun
poured its rays straight down. The
sentinels were kept busy in lodging the
heat and hunting the shade. All duty
not absolutely necessary was dispensed
with for the day. There were all kinds
of sports in the different commands. A
great field day had been arranged to
be held on the Lunetta, but owing to
the unsettled state of affairs it was
postponed.
The natives celebrated Christmas
with many queer ceremonies, and with
them the joyful Pasco Dias was a great
day. The Filipinos know how to enjoy
holiday as do no other people. They
have their holidays every week, but the
greatest of all are Pasco Dias and holy
week. To the Filipinos Christmas was
a week long. and there was another week
of preliminary rejoicing. For more than
a week before Christmas the early morn
ing hours here in Manila were filed with
music. Bands paraded the streets in the
different parts of the city The bells of
low monotones to awaken the people for
early mass.
Music was one of the principal features
with the native observance Of
the holiday season. There are few peo-
pie more unsteady inclined than the Fill
pinos, and on all occasions music is a
feature with the natives. They
have all sorts of brass, string and reed
instruments, and some of the latter are
most rude cOntrivances. They make
reed instruments from sections of bam-
boo, and these are of all sizes and con-
of all pitches. At the holiday
season one has chance to see more of
the musical instinct than at any other
season of the year. All day Christmas
these native bands played in the street.
They lent their aid toward making the
festivities of Christmas eve and Christ
mas night enjoyable. All through the
holy week Manila was filled with music.
Christmas, or Pasco, as the Spanish
is, had its good things for old and young
The children were at the height of their
JOY, for Juguetes, the Santa Claus of
the Filipinos, came throughout the land |
and everywhere distributed good things. |
For a week before Christmas figures
Enthusiastically dressed to represent Jul |
quotes were hauled through the streets
On decorated carts. Everywhere these
we're followed by crowds of native chill
lren.
When the people of the Philippines
urn out to enjoy holiday, they are
specially is this the case at Pasco sea-
ION. Early on Christmas morning the
streets were filed with natives of all
lges and both sexes. The men were clad
n the customary ermine garment and
he women in bright colored frocks, with
IN embroidered piece of pima around the
neck. The little pickaninnies were
dressed in tasty style, as Filipino styles
20, and were as happy as the rest.
The natives all attended the church
ceremonies, for with them, as with us,
these are the real features of the day.
All through the holy week the church
festivities continued and ended only with
the advent of the new year.
With our soldiers the principal ques-
ton at Christmas time was as to going
home. for all were thoroughly tired of
soldering in the tropics. The bright
prospects for the speedy return of the
forces was another cause of
rejoicing and making merry. When
another. year has passed and another
Christmas season is celebrated in Ma
Mia, this city and the Philippines will
have been brought more fully under
American influences and will have en-
barked upon new era.