Evening star., 1922-06-11
Nacimiento of Mexicans.

IN many of the villages and towns
of Mexico the people. who live u.
rude. half built houses called iacals.
are thriftless, shiftless creatures for
the most part, existing amid their
half-fed dogs and donkeys. and setrn-
ingly satisfied with their lot S;iI..
they are religious in a way and
everywhere they celebrate the Christ
mas time, especially by the nAim!-
ento. shrine erected in certain
houses in memory of Christ's birth il
the manger.
At one end of the jacal raised
platform, six or eight feet long and
about four feet wide, is erected Its
front is draped with spotless white
Damp clay is piled upon the top of
this platform, and some one skilled IL
the art arranges the clay in the sem
blance of hills and valleys. the loftl-
est hills arising against the walls nf
the jacal. 4 considerable level plary
is left in the front and central part.
and the mud is left in a rough state
to dry.
Next, rude stable. with stalls. is
plain. In one stall they place a doll
TO represent the infant Savior. Sunlr-
times a dolls cradle il Used fur
the crib and happy is the owner Of
that precious biz Of dolls furniture
Moss is scattered about here and
there. and toy mules. horses and cows
are placed in position. If nothing
more were added TO thus cLllcc: =
one would be instantly reminded Of
the stable of Bethlehem.
But the MeXicans desire to see
every attractive thing they possess
adorning the shrine. Hence they
decorate the hills and plains with IN
Vulnerable incongruous articles Mutt
lated dolls wooden soldiers. cornu-
copias. trains of cars. toy pistols.
| three-legged cows. tops and whips.
have done duty at many nacimiento.
About the shrine are hung moss and
small branches, from which toys and
bright bits of paper and tinsel are
suspended.
When there are no more things
to be put on. the hard work of The
decorator begins.
A large dish, containing a mixture
of rosin and mescal. is put upon the
stove. When the rosin is thor"u- My
mixed with the mescal bamboo i
is dipped into the solution. and hub
bles of it are blown upon the shrine
These harden and cling TO the roI-h
clay. to the leaves and branches. 10
the toys and animals. to the l.lf--
stable and 10 each other t.il tn
whole shrine looks a if it were nalf
buried in sparkling ice crystals
On Christmas eve numerous can
dies are lighted within the little
jacal, and a lantern, swinging from
pole outside the house. is a beacon
light to the villagers. who have been
long looking forward to this Joyous
time.
Young Mexican women are seated
about the room in a solemn ami rev
erent silence. As the villag6s come
in they kneel and pray, drop a fa"
bits into the plate set out for tnat
purpose. admire the beautiful decora
tions, and hurry away in gay groups
to the next jacal containing a nari-
miento, for not every house has a
shrine at Christmas.
These shrines are not disturbed ua-
til after January 6. Meantime. nightly
prayers are offered up before them,
and nightly parties carrying lanterns -
guide their footsteps over the miser-
able roads, go from house to houSe,
criticizing and comparing the dlffeceG-
Shrines.
Among the higher classes the naui-
miento is prepared on an elahora'r
scale, with much cost in time and
money. But perhaps the poorer Mex
leans take most delight in the beaG;N
of their shrines. One can readily un-
derstand that the nacimiento - T.
them, who have so little of the beau
tiful in their daily. struggling lives