The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1901-01-02
MERRYMAKING IN MEXICO.
The Laborers Celebrate n Saints Day
on the Plantations with Mer-
ry-MnIxing.


ry-MnISing.
The time-honored custom of celebrat-
ing the saints day, after some one of
which nearly all the large haciendas In
Mexico are named, was witnessed on
Sunday at one of the principal ranches
in this valley, says the Mexican Herald.
This custom was started by the Span
iards as religious rite and still retains
a great deal of the same sentiment,
although it is looked forward to by
most as a genuine merrymaking. The
extent of the celebration depends on
the number of families living on the
hacienda and the liberality of the own
err, who generally gives a certain sum
to one of the leading employees, leaving
the matter in his hands to arrange
for the greatest amount of enjoyment
to his fellow workmen. A strict ac-
count is kept of the way this money Is
spent, so there is no dissatisfaction
among the others, although the work.
man enjoying the distinction of being
chosen to manage the feast is generally
a leading star in the proceedings.
In the celebration of Sunday the
ranch house had been beautifully dec
grated with flowers and evergreens,
with Chinese lanterns hung in rows
along the portales. While work was
more than usually we'll attended to
the day before, one could notice an
undercurrent of excitement prevailing
in the colony Of some siXty-odd hands,
and by eight o'clock Saturday every
chart
dance which is usually held on the
night before the saints day celebration
proper. If the music procured for the
occasion is good enough, the people Of
the house generally enjoy little dance
themselves while all the poems gather
in front of the main building and are
left entirely to their own devices to
make the most of the occasion. This
was the case on Saturday night but
while the inside entertainment was all
that could be wished for, the attrac-
ton of watching the fun outside drew
most of the family on the veranda.
All the poems of the place, of course,
had gathered, from babies in arms to
old men and women, and all enjoyed
the music and dancing in a quiet way
for the two hours to which it was linn
tied.
However, this was only the prelim-
mary for the programme Of the next
day. AT $3.50 in the morning mass was
heard in the little chapel of the place,
the priest and band being paid for out
of the fun devoted for the occasion.
At this mass not only the work people
and the people of the house attended,
but also many from the neighboring
haciendas. Particular prayers were
said for the success of the hacienda,
and altogether a very impressive serv-
ice held. Everything went as usual
during the day, but at night the enter
tainment was given over entirely to
the workpeople. Tables had been
placed on the lawn in front of the
house, on which were immense stacks
of candy and fruit; free pulque from
the ranch had been procured in guam
titles, and the major domo had to have
several assistants to help him deliver
these things, of which the people, old
and young, are so fond. System had
to be employed in distributing the fruit
and candy. AS they passed in front Of
the tables those appointed as walters
gave to each as much as they could con-
veniently get away with in day or
so. Attempts are always made to work
the walters as many times as possible,
and it was amusing to watch the little
fellows especially dodge through the
crowd and start in again, marching up
as seriously and innocently as could be
with their little shirts bursting with
what they had already slowed away
inside.
The dancing began about nine o'clock
and lasted until II, being carried on
with vigor the whole time by old and
young. It doesn't make much differ
ence on these occasions who or what
the partner is so long as they are MIN
BILE on their feet and have good staying
powers. If a girl or woman be not
available, men and boys dance with
each other, the primary object being
not TO waste the music.
Perfect order, good feeling and po-
likeness prevailed, and after the night
was over the people were ready to go
home feeling better for their recreation
and resolved to deserve by their work
another fiesta of like kind when the
time comes around.
Ordination of a Priest