The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-03-23
(Copywrighted, 1913. by Frank c. Car
penter.)
AIaxico C,itu


Mexico City.
A FTER the sorrow of Denten
"a season bathed in the bloodshea
Il of the revolution. Mexico City
will celebrate Easter Sunday as the
gayest day of the year. There will be
a great bull fight in the Plaza de
Toros the theatres will have matinees
and night performances and Judas will
be hung again and again by the chill
dren and grown-ups in all parts OF the
city This hanging of Judas is regu-
lar Easter celebration. 1t was orig
mated by the Indians, to give them a
chance to vent their rage upon the
traitor to Christ. and it is still so used
in the more ignorant back districts, al
though in the cities il has become a
mere show for the children
Here at the Mexican capital images
of Judas, made in all shapes and sizes
re peddled about the streets in ad-
Sance of the celebration. They range
An price from few cents to number
of dollars, the larger ones being often
filled with firecrae<ers and other ex-
plosives, which go off and blow Judas
to pieces
These Judas figures are made as ugly
as possible. They have ropes attached
TO them and they are dragged about. the
streets.
that until their owners think they have
sufficiently shown their disgust and
contempt. They are then taken up and
hung Sometimes a rope is stretched
across the street, from the second
story windows of the houses on the
opposite sides. in such way that Ju
das hangs from the middle, and at
others a flag staff is put out with
Judas at the end of it, Both children
and grown-ups mob the effigy, throw
Ing stones at it or pelting it with mud.
Some of these Judas figures are
stuffed with candles and presents for
the children, but in such cases they are
usually hung inside the patios or courts
of the houses. where the little ones
can keep the sweets for themselves.
There are also merchants who hang
Judases above their stores, the figures
being filled with petty articles of one
kind or other. When the explosion oc-
ours the contents are scattered over
the sidewalk. and the crowd fights for
them, the whole serving as an adver-
tisement for the establishment which
furnishes it.
Lent in Mexico
Easter Sunday is very popular here
on account Of the rigid way in which
the Mexican celebrate Lent During
that time all festivities are prohibited.
The church will not perform the cere-
monies of marriage. and all of the
women put off their fine clothes and
wear only black. Even the churches
are clad in black and the gorgeous al
tars have sable nantes over their
beautiful decorations of gold, silver and
lace. Every good Christian is supposed
to go to church and all of the women
and the Indians do so. The church
bells ring from morning till night, and
they awaken me before daybreak by
their din.
This continues until Palm Sunday,
when the Indians bring in palms by the
thousands and crosses, woven of palms,
are everywhere sold Some of these
crosses are from six to seven feet in
length and some are so small that you
can wave them in your hands. Some
are not more than two inches wide,
being made of the finest fibers of palm
Others are of the whole leaves and
often single large palm cross will
sell for $5. These palms are blessed
by the priests and are carried home
10 be tied to the front balconies, there
to remain until the next Palm sun
day.
Good Friday has its own special
services, and in the afternoon and
evening of that day the churches will
be dark and the worshipers will en-
gage in silent prayer. The last of the
ceremonies occur Saturday morning,
when the choirs will sing the Gloria"
to organ accompaniments. At the same
time the black draperies will be
stripped from the altars and the bells
will be rung. After this the gaieties
will commence and Easter will practi-
cally begin.
The Government and the Church
The Mexican government now insists
that there shall be an absolute separa-