Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1908-07-31
pr. Edwords Letter.


you who are accustomed to the winter
Christmas weather can have no con.
cePtion Of how things are in the trop.
les, especially when the vast bulk OF
the people are Catholics. Christmas
is the great event, and for two weeks
there is nothing but festivities, balls,
dinners, parties and church going.
The religion part of the festival is
always present, but it does not inter.
fere in the least with the merry max.
/ ing. One of the noticeable features
here is the lack of gift giving which
is so prominent in the American cele.
bration of the day. Some Of the
Americans keep up the old custom Of
giving gifts, but among the natives it
is almost unknown.
Christmas day is ushered in at mid
night Of December Oath by a solemn
mass at all the churches, and then !
begins the merry making. The mass
is usually followed by ball which |
continues not only all the rest of the
night, but in most instances all
Christmas day and the next night.
Of course the same people are not
dancing all the time, but they take
turns at dancing, sleeping and eating.
The ball goes on continuously With
changes Of musicians.
With US in the United States
Christmas is usually considered over
by the time the day is done, and we
are ready to rest for another year.
Not so here, however, for it is now
three days after Christmas day and
the celebI alton is going on just the
same. Instead Of the usual decora
tons of evergreens and mistletce seen
in the cooler countries, the decora.
tons here are flowers, and on all the
tdoorways may be seen fresh flowers,
while the houses are full of the most
beautiful blooms Of al sorts.
The average resident Of the islands
is not averse to taking all the holidays
possible, consequently there is little
work done between Christmas and
New Year. Servants consider that
this week belongs to them and it is a
most unusual thing to see them about
thd house where they are employed.
The Christmas feaSting does not re.
quire much labor in Manila, so far as
the natives are concerned, for they
live principally on fruits that require
no cooking, and rice, which requires
Little attention. Meats are not much
in vogue here, consequently there is
: no such elaborate preparation for the
. Christmas dinner as is to be seen in
! the United States.
Such thing as a turkey is an un-
a known quantity here, unless some
y over.enthusiastic American orders
+ one sent out in cold storage. This is
tried but once by the same person,
for the favor of a cold storage turkey
is something that does not appeal tc
the taste, especially in a hot climate
n l enjoyed a Christmas dinner with a
t Filipino friend, and told him that
h wanted nothing that he did not have
a on ordinary occasions. He took m,
l. at my word and spread a feast con
y sisting of fish, fruit, rice and pre-
. serves. 1t was beautifully supplied
n and when we were through the mea
h | felt much better than is usually tn
case of people who enjoy Christina
dinners. There was none Of the feel
s, ing of fullness, and we were ready e
% 90 to the baille, as the dances ar
called. We enjoyed the rest Of tn
evening watching the dances.
There is none Of the roughnes
% here that is seen in some of tn
q Christmas celebrations in America
ID The dances have none of the abando
lie and hoydenish rioting that hav
m seen many times in my home towr
81 All is decorous, and the utmost gen
= tility and kindness Of manner pre-
Il. walls. Politeness is the special ira
,e. Of the Filipino, and one of the reason
nd why so few Americans understand th