Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1901-11-28

crown of gold and precious stones worth
kings ransom, in this church of Guada-
lupe;sand the pilgrims come here to wor-
ship their queen of heaven, not only on J
the 18th of october but on the 18th of
december and Of the other months as
well-though the great feast is in Oc-
tober, as the month Of the coronation.
dating from 1885, Before that the chief
feast was in December since 1881.
The minor feasts Of the church are MI
merous, as the saints of the churche:
ore named for each church celebrates ita
SAINTS day, the church is richly orna-
nentcG ard tie streets leading to it for
several blocks away are taken up with
the decorations, banners and streamers
in the colors OF that particular. church
| hung from wall to wall and from the win-
dows and balconies. Booths block the way
and the street is carpeted with the petal
OF different colored flowers laid in ,intri-
cate patterns and very beautiful they are,
Eat to walk on, but to look at and admire.
The petals are SC thick that they com
pletely cover the stones and seem as :,
| curpet woven in loom.
| Christmas is a feast day, Int 1t is nos
observed with that enthusiasm. as In this
| country 1t is called La Noche Buena,
| and It.. observance is more religious than
otherwise, though it Is becoming more
| and more Of social nature SO that the
| priests are preaching against the appar-
..nt proclamation Of holy day that the
trend Is to make holiday. The image OF
::le Virgin Is exposed in every house OF
the faithful on ia noche buena," whether
| the old custom Of alteration Is in effect OF
| dance going on. Many people keep open
house and friends and neighbours come to
the ''pcsaGa" bringing flowers to place at
the Virgins feet, or presents for the mem
b.rs of tho hotsenoid, or both. ''Posada'
means all inn-adapted from the place OF
the nativity.
:ioly Thursday is great day for the
poor, hard day OF Judas, for his bonea
| are broken over and over again by
children and particularly at the hands Of
| the small boy who carries species OF
rattle which gives out, the sound OF the
| cracking bones from morning till night
.ery early in the one. TILL late into the
| other.
| If there had ever been any doubt as to
the enormity of Judas crime it has long
Teen removed from the Mexican mind,
Fad his blowing ur with powder and other
snecies of punishment is repeated annual
ly on Holy Thursday. Hideous images
the traitor are made of papier mache.
ranging from few inches to life size
they are filled with fireworks and when
the temper Of the possessor of rEe image
l.as reached that degree Of heat that nc
can wait no longer Judas is incontinently
eSploded-though ~ clock in the morn
Ing. is the accepted ho:1r for the recur-
renee of Judas taking off, and the larger
irlages filled With shoes, articles OF cloth
inc and presents of various sorts. are sus-
pended on wire drawn across the street
from the housetops. When the fireworks
are exploded the contents fall to the
ground or at least into the uplfted hands
Of the rushing. scrambling mob below.
Many of the weather. people take this
,:lethod of gr.ing to the poor-the Judas
Of the Jockey club in the City Of Mexicq
is always great Judas, life size and on
horseback-it is worth going there to sea
| the climax Of that Judas.
Holy week is a week of feast days-it IL
against the principle of the poor to work
on any day of that week, the plows stop
and the hoe is put down while the man.
behind them puts on his Sunday clothes
and hies him away to church or to the
puloue shop or to both. In the city Chris
| tianity is subjected to severe. strain,
housewives are without servants and en-
| ployers without employees, unholy
thoughts fill the heart and language that
would not look we'll in print or sound
nicely in the presence of ladies previous
| Then there's the usual week of anticipa-
| ton of Holy Week and the week of re-
| coyery-a trio that would be voted out OF
! the calendar almost unanimously.
| Other notable feast days are com.
memorative of great lylttles in the coun-
| try's history-the 2nd of April was the
date of the capture Of Pueblo from the
| French in 1867 by Gen. Porf1rio Diaz, and
the 9Th of May a repulse 'of the French on
the same field by Gen. Zcuagosa in 1868.
There fiestas are of the military sort in
which there are parades. sham battles
and other warlike festivities.
! Constitution day comes in February and
| there are several other national days Of
more or less Importance President Juarez's
| birthday, for instance, and of other noted
men that must have their celebration.
But the Mexican does not always wait for
a national or church fiesta. He can cele-
brate his own saints day or join with his
| neighbor in his-on st. Johns day all the
Juans in Mexico have a picnic and on st.
Patricks day the Patricios go out for
lark and so on to the end Of the calendar
If sometimes you find store or an Of
| flee closed you are informed that it is the
boss saints day; he is either at home re-
| ceiving' his friends or has gone to the
| country to celebrate. And so 1t is they
| take If easv in Mexico and I don't know
| but / envy them sometimes and wish 1
| too could join in their fiestas and siestas.
| -Rean Campbell.
Prehistoric Drawings.