ustxtxb_obs_1964_03_20_50_00003-00000_000.pdf

mo , . alb . T i T.LTJ.T…T17… J. .LT… r i 1T T .LT T.L r i l Easter in Mexico 4 1..T7 T .* T.; 4.1.T…T.J. 1 J. T.i.T.LT T 1 1 J.T T One of the unique celebrations in Mexico during Holy Week is the burning of effigies in the streets, public plazas and in every patio, from the humblest to the most aristocratic in the land. The festival takes place the day after Good Friday, and on this great day before Easter all Mexicans are free to rid themselves of their repressions, political, economic, or religious. This Sabado de Gloria is the one day on which good mejicanos can throw away their sorrows to the four winds through the permission and gracious kindness of Almighty God. Maria Cristina Chambers For weeks before Holy Saturday, the entire populace is busy making Judases, small and large Judases, for the rich, the poor, and even the prisoners in jail. These Judases are made of very stiff and well prepared cardboard, painted and decorated to suit each particular figure or representa-_ tion of the person to be hung and burned before all the world, on Holy Saturday, in solemn memory of the great Judas, traitor to Jesus. These cardboard effigies are generously stuffed with fireworks. They are made in sizes from that of a small doll, for little children, to life sizesome as tall as five or six feet. The wealth of Mexican families is judged by the number of Judases they can buy and burn. And so everybody burns his or her particular Judas, his very own and personal traitor of his life, on that Holy Saturday before Easter. As for the great houses of the rich! The Judases there are life size, with the latest and fanciest of fireworks; usually they are effigies of some general, a past president, wicked revolutionist, or any other mortal against whom there might be some secret resentment. The rich hang their Judases from the high balconies of their house, across the street from the neighbors, who haven’t the slightest objection; although on their particular side of the street they, in turn, may be burning an image of the head of the house across, in perfectly duplicated effigy even to moustache and silk hat. BESIDES this semireligious and amusing fiesta, all pious Mexicans observe the classic forty days of fast, ending in Domingo de Pascua, Easter Sunday, when The writer, born in Mexico, educated there and in England, and living now in Brooklyn, has written books for young people, such as The Three Kings \(Oxford UniHanging of the Judases from the Balconies of the Houses: by Leonard Weisgard March 20, 1964