The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1909-12-23
IN AL COUNTRIES IMPRESSIVE
CEREMONIES MARX THE hoL-
iDhY.
TABLEAUX Of HOLY PICTURES
Royal families Present the Scene
Of Nativity IN Their homes-The
Mexican Posada" a Play OF Mary
and Joseph.

a. Christmas scene of the nativity
arranged in various churches in
cities, towns and country. The cx-
hibtion usually lasts m1nth and
crowds of people visit the churches
with p.ouS pleasure.
Persons of means with large
houses often have the scene of the
nativity arranged for the children
and send ut cards of invitation
weeks In advance.
These exhibitions are sort of .
representation of the visit of the /
sh, pherds and mag 70 the stable .
where reposcd the infant Jesus. /
There is background of painted !
scenery against which are arrang- !
ed lif,like puppct figures of the
Virgin and Child Joseph, the wise
men and others Usually there is u
representation of the Eternal Father
and his angels oking on from
above.
1, was said that Francis of Assist
was the { rst one to separate the
scene of the nativity from the rc.
maindcr or the passion, and that
ne invented the chadlc which was
used rs a mangcr for this Occas on.
II was his object To place be-
. f,,n ,L. ,,mmnu upnni. "A realistic
picture the stable In Bethlehem
with accurate surroundings and
with the puppct actors in the great
i drama dressed in the costume of
the period lie sought the realistic
! instead of the conventional mannc:
of thcp rescntation. He succeeded
So well that the custom, with
slight variations has been followed
ever since. IN each c.untry II has
a din rent name. In Spain il IS
called the naCicament: in Italy the
pscpio. In France. the crech",
and in Mexico the Posada.
The .hildrrn OF royalty ia all
Latin countries have exhibitions OF
this kind \ particularly fine one
was arranged for the present king
O. Spain. when he WAS quite Il
young child 1t was shown IN Mad
rid for Il considerable time and is
now being carefully conserved for
In, use of the Kings children. CLAY
fgure, of the christ child are the
fayoritc Christmas toys of all Span
i,h children. The arrangement and
the cCrcmuniDs III Spain and Mexico
do not differ very materially, so
that description of one will an.
swcr ,or both.
The exhibition In Mexico takes
it. name from an inn. "posada.
The Bblc story tells Us that be-
cause there vas no room Tor them
u the ian Mary and Joseph We're
Obliged to take quarters in 4 sta
bic.
Several Mexican families usually
arrange 10 hold their posadas to.
gcthcr and each family entcrtains
the others ON gne of the nights o.!
the novena, The party assemblies
early In the evening at the appoint
ed house, each family bringing its
servants and every one beng pro
Nidrd with lighted candle.
The company leads procession
beaded by TWO p'!sTims r'prr3""t
ing Joseph ON foot and Mary on
au ass. Mary wears frock OF the
Virgins color which is presented
to her and Is often very handsome.
The procession marches through
the corridors OF the house singinE
the Virgins Ii,any of l.oretto.
As the bell rings ont the midnight
hour the procession halts before an
open door where the figures OF Jo-
scph and Mary are arranged in a
kind of stable.
The religious part of the cer..
mony ends with little service be-
fore the shrine, and then the frolic
begins.
ON the night before Christmas
tEey sing the l'tany OF Nino Dios
and Mexican cradle song before
putting the eftigies in place, With
dancing and merrymakng the GER
emony 4 the nativity Is complet'
ed The churches are thronged with
visitors during the month the ar
rangement is allowed to stand,
The creche, crib or manger In
France Is almost q household ihsti-
tuition. Very elaborate arrange
mentS are set up in the homes Of