Evening star., 1939-12-24
The Travellers Notebook
Travellers Can See Another Christmas
In Puerto Rico January 6 and a Third
On Bayou de Large February rs
BY JACQUES FUTRELLE, Jr.,
Travel Editor.

BY JACQUES FUTRELLE, Jr.,
Travel Editor
That momentous holiday, Christ
mas, comes once a year to most of
the world, and by day after tomor-
row the echo will be fading amid
wide scattering of toys and bright
trees whose days are numbered. In
certain spots in the world, however,
thousands of children still will be
looking forward to Christmas, or at
least the gift-receiving that monop-
olizes attention in the typical
American home. Among them will
be those of Puerto Rico and of the
trapper families in the Bayou de
Large section of Louisiana.
Puerto Rico has somewhat adopt
ed the American Christmas date
Some families even import balsam
fir trees from Maine and Canada to
carry out the mainland holiday
theme on December Is. They must
forego hanging their stockings in a
row over the fireplace for the simple
reason that f1replaces are out of
place In the general theme Of things
in sunny Puerto Rico. December Is
supplements rather than replaces
the Puerto Rican Christmas for
January 6, the day Of the Three
Kings, remains the day of gifts.
Back of this Santa-like legend is
the folk tale that goes something
like this
Long ago a poor little boy, Jose,
heard that three kings were coming
to town, laden with beautiful gifts.
Other little boys dressed in their
best clothes to go greet them, but
Jose's mother was Ill and he was
obliged to stay at home to care for
her. After the others had gone
skipping down the street and dis
appeared, poor little Jose sank on
the doorstep and buried his face in
his hands, sobbing.
The tinkle of approaching camel
bells caused him to straighten up.
He saw three strangers riding to-
ward him on camels. They were
tired, Jose noticed. as they drew up.
so he ran to get water for the men
and a box of grass for the camels.
Thanking Jose, the strangers de-
parted. 1t was late when Jose got
into bed. The next morning, he
thought of the box and went to
fetch it, And he found the Three
Wise Men had left it filled to the
brim with gold coins
So. every January Puerto Rico's
children gather grass and place 1t
in boxes for the return of the three
kings on their camels. They edge
it tenderly under their beds, conf
dent that, as good little boys and
girls, they will withdraw it the morn
ing of January filled with delight
full gifts.
But spring has almost come to
the islands. the lakes and the bays
that fringe the Gulf of Mexico
before the children of the Bayou
de Large celebrate their Christmas.
When the rest of Louisiana is pre-
pairing for Santa Claus, the trap
pers are scattered each family iso-
lated in the lonely reaches of the
dark waters. Santa doesn't go to
the swamps.
About the houseboats is the hum
of long and busy days, for theirs is
a harvest that ends the first part of
February. There are traps to mend
and tend, catches to skin. pelts to
dry-on December Is, as well as any
other day.
Christmas comes to them on Feb
ruary Is. 1t is one of the newer
Christmas days. established in 1922,
but already it is recognized on the
bright religious calendars that hang
in almost every home in the area.
Timed to the close Of the trapping
season. when the seasons fur busi-
ness has been settled, the February
Christmas was inaugurated by the
sponsors of ST. Andrews Episcopal
mission.
To any one who steps into the
missions little frame building on a
Sunday or a religious holiday, it is
church. on weekdays it becomes
school. but any one would know
that on February IS it's Christmas,
The tree is bright with lights Of
many colors and tinsel and icicles
simmer on the branches. but it is
neither fir nor spruce, for they are
unknown in the bayous. The gaugy
branches are those of live oak or
a wax myrtle.
The mission workers play Santa,
distributing dolls, jack knives, trains,
candy and games. garden tools, base
balls and apples. Darkness brings
a display of Observation-Disclosures made
so we'll identified with Southern
Christmases. This has been pre-
pared on the banks of the bayou.
To the eye of the stranger. the
contraption appears to be an Indian
tepee. 1t is made of long poles,
standing on ends and leaning into
a bunch at the top. Out of this
rises an erect. larger pole. Dry
roseau reeds have been piled into
the wood. and as the flames leap
up the joints of the reeds explode,