The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1901-07-16
MEXICAN MERRYMAKERS.
How LabOrers ON a Plantation Ce1e-
brate Its Saints Day.

brate Its Saints Day.
The time honored custom of celebrating
the saints day, after some of which near
ly all the large haciendas in Mexico are
named, was witnessed on a recent Sun
day at one of the principal ranches in the
valley.
This custom was started by the Span
iards as religious rite and still retains a
great deal of the same sentiment, al
though it is looked forward to by most as
a genuine merrymaking, The extent Of
the celebration depends upon the number
of families living in the hacienda and the
liberality Of the owner, 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 account is kept of the way this
money is spent, so there is no dissatis-
faction among the others, although the
workman enjoying the distinction of be-
ing chosen to manage the feast is gener-
ally leading star in the proceedings.
In the celebration of Sunday the ranch
house had been beautifully decorated with
flowers and evergreens, with Chinese Ian
terms hung in rows along the portals.
While work was more than usually well
attended to the day before, one could no.
tice an undercurrent of excitement pre-
vailing in the colony Of some sixty odd
hands, and by s o'clock Saturday every
thing was ready for the short vesper
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 gen.
orally enjoy a 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.
However, this was only the preliminary
for the next day. At $50 In the morn
ing mass was heard in the chapel Of the
place. At this mass not only the work
ing people and the people of the house at
tended, but also many from the neighbor-
nghaciendas. Particular prayers were said
for the success of the haciendas, and alto
gether very impressive service was held.
Everything went as usual during the day,
but at night the entertainment was given
over entirely to the workpeoDle. 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 quantities,
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
all as much as they could conveniently
eat in a day or so. Attempts are always
made to work the walters as many times
as possible, and 1t 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 stored away in
side.
The dancing began about 9 o'clock and
lasted until IL, being carried on with
vigor the whole of the time by old and
young 1t doesn't make much difference
on these occasions who or what the part
ners are so long as they are nimble on
their feet and have good staying powers.
If a girl or woman be not available, men
and boys dance with each other, the pri-
mary object being not to waste the music.
Perfect order, good feeling and polite
ness prevailed, and after the night was
over the people were ready to go home
feeling better for their recreation and re-
solved to deserve by their work another
fiesta of a like kind when the time comes
round.-Mexican Herald.