The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram., 1910-12-18
PICTURESQUE IS
THE CELEBRATION
OF Christmas Day by the Re-
ligious Mexicans of San
Antonio, Texas.
STORY OF CHRISTCHILD
With Its Wierd Yet Beautiful
Setting, Given in Chap
el of Miracles.
palladium Specially

palladium Specially
San Antonio Tex, Dec. 1.-THE
most picturesque Christmas celebra-
tion In all America Is held by the
Mcxicans In San Antonio. LOS Pas
torres" the dramatic presentation OF
the story OF the christ.child, with its
weird. yet beautiful, setting. is given
in the quaint Chapel of Miracles and
at other chapels and churches where
the Mexicans worship. 1t is a mys-
terry play. analogous to the Passion
Play OF Oberammergau, and has been
handed down from father to son for
generations. II was introduced by the
early Spanish missionaries. in order to
teach the Indians the story of the
story OF the birth OF Christ, and to
impress them with His divine origin
Los Pastores," or "The Shepherds
is form OF the mediaeval religious
dramas known as Passion Plays, mira
Gle plays and nativity plays. Before
the altar, brilliant with it's candles,
and decorated with roses and flowers
that bloom here throughout the win
ter. and with the walls of the chapel
covered with the green of cedar
boughs and palms. the large company
OF actors, costumed the same as was
the custom three and four hundred
years ago. enact, as they conceive 1t,
-. - - 4 h.,
flashing stare and the joyful acclaim
of the shepherds on that wonderful
night In Bethlehem. After the fashion
of the mediaval plays, bits of broad
humor are interspersed with the real
ly exquisite poetry OF the theme,
Shepherds Sing Hymn.
II opens with shepherds singing a
hymn beginning I'm Bcthlehem's Holy
Manger" and containing the following
verse:
March on together joyfully,
While the Angles sing;
For Our Lords nativity,
Hot tamalcs bring.
This Is the literal translation from
the original Spanish and Is character
is,ic Of the simplicity of the devout
Mexican people. the hot tamale. with
them. being piece-de-resistance OF
their feasts. This song. after many
stanzas. closes with the following:
\ bitter contest ours to wage,
The evil power to quell.
To match the cunning. dare the rage.
or Satan, Prince Of Hell.
4, vhN
wears very long tail made of fire.
crackers. Putting the devil into hell
requires much time. the industrious
effort OF the apostles and the shep-
herds giving occasion for many intro.
ductions Of humor. When Lucifer and
his Imps are finally banished Satan's
tail Is set on fire and his wild antics
furnish uproarious amusement. An
other comic character is the shepherd
Bartholomew. a ridiculously sleepy fell
low, who cannot shake off his drowsi-
ness. The other shepherds, including
a comic cook. beg him to wake up and
worship the Christ-child. but he has
some sleepy-headed excuse each time.
At last. the shepherds take him up
bodily and deposit him before the al
tar. They drop him. not too gently.
and bright illumination of celestial
glory falls about him. a combination
that wakes him up to his religious du-
ties. Other characters represent al
most every prominent name in Bibli-
cal history, including Mary and Joseph,
Bclzebub and other devils, the archan-
gle Michael and other archangels and
angles. Moses. Noah. the three wise
men. and sometimes, such modern
personages as Thomas and A. Beckett.
Pope Leo XIII., and Isabel the Catho-
lie. The weary wandering of Mary
and Joseph from door to dor, in search
of shelter In Bethlehem. the birth of
Christ, the angels chorous announc-
ing II to the shepherds In the fields.
their journey and that of the wise
men Of the East. guided by the Star
Of Bethlehem, are set forth in detail.
Always hosts Of angels and devils
hover about the scene and have bit
ter controversies over every imagina.
hle point OF difference. The devils
are. of course. discomforted and final
ly driven out in disgrace.
learn pS't ny Notes
The illiteracy of many OF the actors
means that they must learn their part
by rotc. Everything is chanted. The
shepherds carrycrooks upon which are
hung various twinkiing instruments.
aud as the shepherds lift and drop
them upon the wooden floor they pro-
duce monotonous jingle that keeps
time TO the simple tune to which they
recite the history OF the birth OF
Christ Sometimes. a tableau of Mary
the Child. Joseph. and the Wise Men.
Is seen the setting being stable stall
and often couple of donkeys are
tied by the manger. The deep religi-
ous instinct OF these simple Mexican
folk causes many times the display of
great emotion and real tears. In no
sense is there any irreverence attach.
cd TO the comic relief of the funny"
characters.
When tho Standards kpGs1 ,t Tho