Meade County news. [volume] (Meade, Kan.) 1900-1918, 1913-12-25


ceremony is always followed by the
breaking of the 'pinyata." II the
Christmas tree is joy itself to the
American child, the "pinyata" means
even more to the humble Mexican
child.
They are made of large or small
"Ollas" liars of pottery:. gaily dec
GRATED with colored paper and tinsel
to represent some figure, either
grotesQue or pretty. One may buy
bride. clown, baby. goose, swan, pine
apple. or anything the fancy has
dictated In the making, and at any
price from atty eentAvos to twenty
Ave pesos. The jars are entirely con-
cealed in their fancy coverings, with
. stout rope around the top to sus-
pend them from the ceiling. A little
brown boy will trot along BY your
side and carry your pinyata home
for you for few cents. no matter
how heavy it b.
Thereafter they are filed with nuts.
candles, raisins. small oranges. bana-
mas. dates, pieces of sugar-cane and .
few small simple toys as, dolls or
animals; the pinyata is hung ready
for use. The servants and their chill
dren are permitted to come in and
share the fun, no distinction Of class
being made at this time.
One after another of the company
are blindfolded and allowed three
strikes each at the pinyata with a
heavy cane as 1t hangs, suspended
from the ceiling When 1t is finally
broken and the contents tumble to the
floor of the patio" there is grand
scramble for the good things that have
fallen out, and each person is permit
ted to keep whatever he or she can
get hold of first. Woe unto the poor
child who is timid and slower than
the others, she is liable to get very lit
tie indeed
After the pinyata the servants re-
tire, more or less elaborate supper
Is served, according to the station Of
the host; favors are distributed, usual
ly some odd little figures Of china
or bisque, filed with candy; dancing
and music follow until q late hour.
n Wine or cognac is plentiful, but very
few become intoxicated. The churches
;, celebrate these "fiestas." leaving out.
1 Of course, the social features. On
Christmas eve at midnight 10 cele.
brated the mass, when the image Of
/; the holy child IL carried through the
Il cathedral By the high dignitaries OF
the church, and the people are al
lowed to kiss the toes Of the sacred In
FAINT to show their alteration. after
which 1t Is placed In the grotto fol-
j lowed by the litanies, etc. After the
J, mass Is celebrated the bells ring out
/ joyously and noisily and one knows
that another Christmas day Is at
hand.
No one gets up early on Christmas
morning except the devout women
who in their black dresses and with
their black mantillas over their heads
attend the ten o'clock mass.
A visit to the booths or 'puestos'
during the holiday season is full OF
i interest as well as surprises to the
foreigner in a Mexican city. The
sight OF these queer and varied look
ing booths going up on the side of the
!. street adjoining the sidewalk on two
I sides of the alameda or park Is the
] first indication OF the approaching
; holidays. Each booth Is erected by
the humble merchant who is to oc-
, cupy 1t, according to his own fancy
and as they do not conform to any
rules or regulations as to size OF
shape, they are a queer tumble Of
/ gaily lighted "puestos."
There one can buy jumping Jacks
for two centavos; clay dolls for two
. to four cents. beautiful and curious
pottery, made from the identical ate,
|. and toltec designs for from twenty
to fifty cents. beautiful baskets Of
imperishable weave and color and
every size and shape from twenty-five
cents to one peso; clay figures Of
, men and women with bits Of bright
, calico fashioned into clothes: figures
OF ungainly looking animals shaped
; like nothing ever seen before. sacred
, images, ieweIry. clever whistles, rat
{ ties, electric sparklers," fireworks o.
all description, delicious candiet
fruits. conserves, in fact anything ant
everything is to be found at the "pues
, tos." The Mexicans are especially
clever at making candied fruits.
} All day and until midnight grea
| throngs Of people crowd and pusl
each other, good naturally, going ant
: coming, crowding the walks in from
, of the booths almost to suffocation
, making their purchases, visiting
. laughing and talking. But at mid
/ night, when there is no possibility o
1 more sales the merchants spread thei
/ blankets ON the mats or 'petates,
, blow out their torch lights drop dowI
! their one window in front and al
!, crawl into the one bed, or roll up II
!, their single blankets. and crawl undel
!. the rude counter and go to sleep. N,
r one thinks OF going home. in fact som'
, Of them are regular nomads and hnv,
/. no fixed homo.
D Ono BY one the lights 60 out END
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