The sun., 1919-06-23
CHILE CELEBRATES
ST. JOHNS DAY
Spirit Of Observance Much
Like Halloween in This
Country.
FEASTS GREAT FEATURE
Family Groups Assemble, Ex-
change Gifts and Invoke
Friendly Spooks.
FEAsTs GREAT FEATURE
BY GRAcIELA MANDUJANo.

Specially Written for tho Latin Amsri-
can Section Of THE SUN.
Although St Johns Day does not APP
pear among the official holidays Of
Chile, II Is a national holiday that cor
responds to the American Halloween
and Thanksgiving. For, IL everybody
II not called Juan or Juanita, at least
they all know a person by that name,
and they are willing to celebrate the
happy event.
1t corresponds to Halloween because
Of all the spooky nights st. Johns eve
10 the spookiest. Chilean ghosts and
occult powers have consecrated this
night for their awesome revelations.
and everybody who Is not too old to
have some hopeful illusions left tries
that night to interpret their signs and
Inspirations thrilling with expectancy.
Simple and conservative, the old IA
miliar spirits do not consider 1t beneath
their dignity to communicate with the
innocent souls that question them. To
serve as a medium IL easy enough. You
melt q piece Of tin, for instance, and
drop the liquid into a glass Of ice GOLD
water. The spirits will be there to
shape those drops into symbolic figures.
IL they are In the form of falling tears.
why, You Immediately see that your
| sweetheart 10 going to forget you. Per-
| chance cross or ring IL formed, and
then sceptioal people prophesy a we'd
ding. .-
Light two candles in front Of your
mirror at midnight in your dark bed
| room, and then, all dressed In black.
look without winking at your reflection
and you will see your future. OF course
this Is difficult to do. because we all
dread so much to see something contrary
\ to our expectations. In fact, all these
methods are rather impractical 1t is
| difficult, for instance, to keep awake
until midnight In the big household
where everybody retires at 10 r. M. the
lights 60 out early and the wind means
plaintively along the corridors or shakes
the rustling branches OF the eucalyptus
trees.
| Besides, the morrow will be q busy
day. For weeks everybody has been
preparing for It; the old severe parloi
has been opened and busted 30 that II
loscE Its musty air. Extra rooms have
been arranged for possible guests--the
china taken from the closets. the liner
nlado ready and extra help hired for the
day.
| Back of the kitchen. in the chicken
yard. there has also been great excite
n.ent. The fat. supercilious turkeys
that were sent from, the neighborins
farms as advance gifts to the happy
Juan OF that household have been taken
away to be prepared, stuffed and eaten
In celebration Of that days festivity
and the dignihed hens and chanticleer
cannot cease commenting upon their
| own salvation with much fiutter OF
wings. They do not think that they
might yet be required for the midnight
| supper.
Everything has been attended to, food
prepared for an army and no unneces-
| sary invitations sent out, for the rela-
| tives and guests will strive TO be the
| frs; to greet the Juan or Juanita. as
early as breakfast time. with the inten-
TIN OF remaining as long as there is
another soul to keep them company
A real procession of messenger boys
aiso begins In the early morning, with
bulky packages and cumbersome trays
ia which the real gift Is hidden under
punches OF flowers. complicated cakes
and dozens OF luscious oranges symmetri-
caliy arranged and decorated with little
Chilean hagA On an elaborate card In
| many colors the sender writes his mes
sage, warm with sympathy and SINGER
n.y. wishing his friend thousand days
like this.
| The dear gifts, almost always far
from being in good taste, are not chosen
| by the Jeweller or suggested by the girl
planned and worked at. and arranged,
and disposed. every little flag in the
golden oranges proclaiming loudly the
| loyalty and affection OF friend.
The visit of the children. OF the
| childrens children. and OF old friends
give this festivity an unassumed gayety.
Loud laughter. songs and good food,
| gossip and pleasant "reminiscences are
the keynote OF the sincere. old fash
Toned. bourgeois hospitality
No wonder that the wishes of the
guests. as expressed again on leaving,
| are that the cordial welcome may be
| repeated for a thousand years.
No wonder that everybody. even those
with aristocratic. snobbish taste, wishes
TO perpetuate the pleasant festivity In
which the healthy condition of Chilean
society, the cleanliness of Chilean Gus
toms and the simplicity of tastes can be
so we'll appreciated.