Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-12-21

who furnished detailed description of
this part of the feast. these cakes are
wonderful specimens of the bakers art.
/ Nowhere else she declares, are more
beautiful examples of artistic frosting
seen than on those cakes. Another Christ
1 mas treat is the ''touron," almond
paste. which is made especially for this
occasion.
! OF course TO this must be added the
regular requisites of any dinner. Wines
/ and liquors are also served Such a
/ feast as this, be it understood. is char
! acteristic of those given in the club or
in the homes of the gentle people Among
| the poorer classes it is much less pre-
| tentious. 1t is, however. just as impor-
i tant, and. while there is no club dinner,
i the Christmas supper in the home of the
poor is looked forward to for many
weeks
+! Another feature of this Christmas festi-
val which is especially interesting Is the
| dancing among the poorer classes. W ME
| the dance is being given by the social
/ set at the club or home the peasants
| are by no means idle. They, too, have
| their dances which, oddly enough, are
| adaptations of your tango Chiei
| among these dances is the 'tambor.
i
| almost oriental in its atmosphere while
| in its movement it is like our tango,
though. of course it has been native
/ dance many. many years. Inc orlenta
/ touch to this dance is in the music
| Drums. and a gourd instrument which
! gives the same sound as rubbing sand
paper together. form the typically east
| ern accompaniment and produce music
! that is quaint and weird.
While the grown-ups, high and low, are
| making merry. the little ones in Panama
| are not being forgotten. Panama this
| Christmas will present strange scene, q
| country where the ancient customs winch
/ have come down from generations gone
| commingle with the newer ones brought
| down by Americans. OF the old customs
| of the country itself one there is which
| perhaps has its counterpart nowhere else
| in all the world.
j.
! At bedtime Christmas eve the little
| children of Panama put their shoes under
their pillows, for they believe that the
| child Christ will come and fill them. And
Santa Claus? Until the American with
his steam shovel and mosquito poison be
came daily factors in the life of this re-
| public he was not even known.
But now there are wee tots who still
.,ut their baby shoes under their pillow
| and wait the coming of that other child
There are others who hang up long
| slender little stockings and eagerly wait
for the tinkle of sleigh bells which
| heralds the coming of that friend to al
| little folk. Panama has become cosmo
| politan.
In Panama. on the 25th of each Deem
! Der each child is sure of receiving a,
| least one toy. M child, be his parents
| ever so poor. goes without his Christmas
| toy. And. Furthermore, these toys TO-
] low definite trend. Drums and trumpets
| nredominate, with other nose-making de.
| vices bringing up the rear. For Christ
| mas to the tots of Panama means noise
with a capital IN. The baby shoe may
be trimming with gifts, the stocking
buIging but if there be drum o.
| trumpet among the contents Christmas
! is indeed not worth while.
| Another of the prevailing customs iI
| Panama is similar to that of practically
all Catholic countries. In Panama it is
called "Nacimiento. In all the churches
and in many private homes as we'll
s, managers are built. These may be bu
| small plain reproductions, where only tht
| Virgin Mary and the Child Jesus are
! shown. Or in the larger of the churche:
| the donkey and oxen are added, and neal
| the Virgin may stan ST. Joseph.
| There is no Catholic Church but what
| has some representation Of the birth O
| Christ. On Christmas day and the day
| previous all Catholics-and that mean:
| practically all those who are native t
| the country-visit the churches. Not on.
| alone is visited, but all, as no two