Year: 1873




THERE is no civilized country on earth
in which children are not made happy by
the promise of the coming Christmas.
But in every country the festival is called
by different name, and its presiding
genius is painted with different costume
and manner. You know all about our
jolly Dutch Santa Claus, with his shrewd,
twinkling eyes, his frosty beard, his Tuddy
face and the bag of treasures with which
he comes tumbling down the chimney,
while his team of reindeer snort and
stamp on the icy roof The English
Christmas is equally well-known, and the
wonders of the German miracle-tree, the
first sight of which no child ever forgets.
But you are, perhaps, not so familiar with
the spirit of the blessed season of advent
in Southern Europe, and so | will tell
you some of the pleasures and fancies of
the Spanish Christmas.


The good cheer which il brings every
where is especially evident in Spain.
They are frugal people; and many a
good Spanish family is supported by less
than the waste of a household on Murray
Hill. But there is no sparing at Christ
mas. This is a season as fatal to turkeys
as Thanksgiving in New England The
Castilian farmers drive them into market
in great droves, which they conduct from
door to door, making the dim old streets
gay with their scarlet wattles, and noisy
with obstTeperous Cabling. But the
headquarters of the marketing during
those days are in the Plaza Mayor, where
every variety of fruit and provision is
sold. There is nothing more striking
than those vast heaps of fresh golden
oranges, plucked the day before in the
groves of Andalusia; nuts from Granada,
or Hatn from ri flavor N
color of tropical fruitage; and in the
stalls beneath the gloomy arches, the
butchers drive their flourishing trade.
Allis gay and joyous-chafferin and jest
ing, greeting of friends and filling of
baskets. The sky is wintry but the
ground is ruddy and rich with the fruits
of summer.


At night the whole city turns out into
the streets. The youths and maidens of
the poorer class go trooping through the
town with tamborines, castanets and
guitars, singing and dancing Every one
has different song to suit his own state
of mind. The women sing of love and
religion, and many of the men can sing of
nothing better than politics. But the part
which the children take in the festival
bears a curious resemblance to those time
honored ceremonies we all remember





are all of the Gospel There is no north
ern st. Nick there to stuff the stockings
of good children with rewards of merit
Why, then, on Christmas eve do you see
the little shoes exposed by the windows
and doors? The wise kings of the East
are supposed to be journeying by night
to Bethlehem, bearing gifts and homage
to the heavenly Child, and out of their
abundance when they pass by the houses
where good children sleep, they will drop
into their shoes some of the treasures
they are bearing to the Baby Prince in
Judea. This thought is never absent
from the rejoicings of Christmastide in
Spain. Every hour of the time is sacred
to Him who came to bring peace and
good will to the world. The favorite toy
of the season is called "The Nativity" 1t
is sometimes very elaborate and costly,
representing landscape under starry
night; the shepherds watching their
fiocks; the magi coming in with wonder
and awe, and the Child in the stable, she'd
ding upon the darkness that living light
which was to overspread the world
John Hay, in ST. Nicholas for January.