Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1913-12-25

IOuuuS are udue NY SuTlSJllldS eve.
The Christmas tree is unknown to
the Mexican child, out the religious
ceremony Is always followed by the
breaking of the "pinyata." If 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" (jars of pottery:, gaily dec
Grated with colored paper and tinsel
to represent some figure, either
grotesque or pretty. One may buy a
bride, clown, baby, goose, swan, pine
apple, or anything the fancy has
dictated in the making, and at any
price from fifty centavos to twenty
five 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 is.
Thereafter they are filled with nuts,
candies, raisins, small oranges, bana-
mas. dates, pieces of sugar-cane and a
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 it 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, filled with candy; dancing
and music follow until late hour.
Wine or cognac is plentiful, but very
few become intoxicated. The churches
celebrate these "fiestas," leaving out,
of course, the social features. On
a nOidnipht PpIp-
brated the mass, when the image Of
the holy child is carried through the
cathedral by the high dignitaries of
the church, and the people are al
lowed to kiss the toes of the sacred in
fant to show their alteration, after
lowed by the litanies, etc. After the
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
interest as we'll as surprises to the
foreigner IL 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
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 it, according to his own fancy,
and as they do not conform to any
rules or regulations as to size or
shape, they are queer jumble of
gaily lighted "puestos."
There one can buy jumping-ja jacks
for two centavos; clay dolls for two
to four cents, beautiful and curious
pottery, made from the identical aztec
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, jewelry, clever whistles, rat
ties, electric sparklers," fireworks of
all description, delicious candied
fruits, conserves, in fact anything and
everything is to be found at the 'pues-
tos." The Mexicans are especially
clever at making candied fruits.
All day and until midnight great
throngs of people crowd and push
each other, good naturedly, going and
coming, crowding the walks In front
of the booths almost to suffocation,
making their purchases, visiting,
laughing and talking. But at mid
night, when there is no possibility of
more sales the merchants spread their
blankets on the mats or "petates,"
blow out their torch lights, drop down
their one window in front and all
crawl into the one bed, or roll up in
their single blankets, and crawl under
the rude counter and go to sleep. No
one thinks of going home, in fact some
of them are regular nomads and have
no fixed home.
One by one the lights go out and
the tropical moon looks coldly down
on one of the strangest little gypsy
camps in the world. r..