Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-03-31
Mexican Peon
Enjoys Dancing

is placed on the floor and a couple dance
round it. sometimes with the young man
deity balancing a wine bottle on his
head. They wear a solemn, funereal air
all through the dance, but seem to enjoy
1t thoroughly, especially when the music
gives place to lively airs on a screechy
graphophone. Some of the Indians still!
keep up their old-tine devil dances"
in which they paint their bodies to resem-
BILE human skeletons. Many of them
dress as Americans might when going to
a tacky party, and down in Oaxaca no
dance Is complete without the uniform
of the French zouaves. 1t seems that
| Indians took these uniforms of the bodies
| Of soldiers who had been killed in battle
| and have treasured them ever since as
| costumes for the dance.
The ceremony Of blessing the animals
| is one of the most picturesque In Mexican
! life. Once 1t was religious rite but one
would scarcely call it that today. On
the appointed day the people congregate
| i'm the chuFchyard driving with them
their household pets. all fittingly deco
rated for the occasion. One may see
cows and burros painted in all the colors
| sheep and pink horses abound. Chick
ems, turkeys, parrots. canaries, cats
and dogs all help to make up the motley
procession which makes a rush for the
| church door as the church bell rings, and
the priest sprinkles holy water over the
gathering.
Christmas time witnesses many ceremo-
| MES and customs that are full of pecu-
| 16 and extends on to Christmas eve. 1T
! Is supposed to commemorate the journey
| of the Virgin Mary to Bethlehem and her
| quest for shelter. The persons who go
about taking part in the posada call at
the houses Of their friends. AT first they
are coldly received; afterward they are
welcomed Suspended from the ceiling are
| little baskets Of fruit. Each shelterless
wanderer is blindfolded and given stick.
with which he strives to knock the fruit
out Of the basket. Each day Is a posada
within itself, and many persons make
| the rounds every day for week.
With every feast day there is a boom
| in the flower market, and every town
and village in
Town and Village the republic is
Ablaze With Color. a'Ne Even in
such cities as Tehuantepec women come
from far and near with loads Of flowers,
and the market on the preparatory day
is riot Of gorgeous blooms. Everybody
buys flowers, and the native can buy
| them for so much less than the foreigner
that even in their poverty they get a
good supply. Floral feasts have their Gull
mination I'm the celebration of the comba
| of flowers. This takes place on the Sun
| day nearest the 9Th Of May, Cinco de
| Mayo being a national holiday in celc-
| bration of the defeat OF the French at
| Puebla in 1882. The whole republic gath
| ers flowers preparatory to this great CON-
| bat. and everybody, from the highest to
| the lowest, pelts everybody else with
| roses and orchids. lilies and other fair
| flowers Of the field.
| The Mexican Fourth Of July is in Sep
| tember-the 18th 1t was on this date thai
| the Mexican declaration Of independence
| was promulgated by H.dalgo. a priest of
the Catholic Church. The Mexicans have
| their liberty bell. which was rung as was
| ours. 1t was moved to Mexico City and
hung over the national palace. 1t so hap
pens that the evening Of President Diax' S
| Birthday is the end OF independence day.
| and the liberty bell Is rung as q signal of
the passing Of one and the approach of
| the other. While the Mexican cannot at
ford to be as prodigal Of fireworks as
young America, he still knows a good