Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1899-03-26
EASTER IN CUBA.
There-Day of Music and
Gladness.

From The New York Herald.
Those of us who know Easter only in
our cold and prosaic North can have little
conception OF the significance and solemnity
of Passion week N countries where Il hot
ter sun has infused i~ntenser warmth into
the blood.
Mr.. Thomas II. Graham. vice president Of
the Juragua Iron Mines Company, Santiago
de Cuba, gives an interesting description
of Easter as observed in Santiago and 9TH
er Cuban cities.
During the entire week." he says, all
social gayety is suspended; even business
assumes IL quieter aspect. but the distinc-
tive celebrations do not begin until HOY
Thursday. On that day high mass is bro
ken off in the middle. and l. procession
OF priests carries an image of Christine
'Ecce Homo'-to the cathedral. In towns
where there is no cathedral some church
is selected. and there the image. life-s!ze
and ROBBED in white. is carried in solemn
state. the entire popu!ace joining III the
procession. This ceremony commentaries
the journey 10 Pilates judgment hall. The
image - left III the church and the people
disperse in silence. Then the devout begin
the ceremony of the pilgrimage. That is.
they visit fourteen churches. indicative of
the fourteen stations of the cross. saying
prayers ut every station. II generally re-
quires 4 part of Good Friday TO complete
the pilgrimage. t;
"A Good Friday in a Southern Roman
Catholic country is something to be re-
memhered. The sun rises on Il city plunged
in absolute stillness-stillness of the grave.
The very air is funereal.
In the afternoon the procession of the
Holy Virgin takes place. This is really the
most striking of. all the ceremonials, The
sacred image. robed in black. Is carried by
the priests. and Is followed by the eighteen
canons of the church in singular costume.
al! black. On their heads they wear con-
ical black caps. fully two and a haif feet
in height. and their robes have trains SIX
teen or eighteen feet long. Every canon
Is followed by an acoiyte. who carries the
train. Then comes the populace. men and
women. still in black. all CARRYING lighted
candles. The scene is curiousiy medieval
and impressive.
The people who are not in the procession
vie with one another in doing homage to the
Virgin as she passes. Money Is freely Civ
en-. and flowers are offered in profusion.
While We lived in Santiago Mrs. Graham
always sang a hymn to the Virgin as her
image passed our house, which was facing
the great plaza. As her voice rose from
the balcony where we stood the vast pro-
cession would stop and listen in a silence
so profound that ii could he felt. Not Il
sound would be heard except Mrs. Gra-
hams voice.
been rung. Even the call to church is Civ
on by gathering IL peculiar box with loosely
fastened strips of wood. BY 10 o'clock all
lights are out. and the city seems asleep.
Then comes the Saturday of glory with
its wonderful and dramatic change. At 10
o'clock in the morning al! the church bells
ring out joyful;y. and the vigil is ended.
AT the first sound of the bells. called the
burst of glory. everyone drops on his knees,
wherever he may be. and says three ere
dos. The battery in the fort a,lutes. TIN.
veil Is taken from the altar. The mass is
resumed where il was broken off on Thurs
day, ana ~ever"where rejoicing takes the
place OF mourning. Easter Sunday is IL
day Of music and gladness. Ii SEEMS as
II The reaction from the excessive gloom II
the prece'!in" days affected the entire city.
and az almost wild sayety is the re-
sui:. Monday and Tuesday are devoted 20
festivities. and il - not until the end OF the
week that the city resumes its usual as-
l,t,