As democracy is perfected, the office represents, more and more closely, the inner soul of the people. We move toward a lofty ideal. On some great and glorious day the plain folks of the land will reach their heart’s desire at last, and the White House will be adorned by a downright moron.
Christmas in Honduras begins with the appearance of the Warini, the Christmas Herald — a masked dancer who goes house-to-house accompanied by singers and drummers. His dance on January 6 will signal an end to the season. In fact dancing is an integral part of Christmas celebrations in this Central American country. The aboriginal Garifuna people perform costumed dances such as Pijamanadi, Dona Amidi, Coreopatea and John Canoe. In early December the women of certain tribal groups will dance in groups door-to-door; neighbourhoods will stage tambakus; and on Christmas morning children and their families will dance rondas and play games.
As in most Latin American countries the manger scene or nacimiento is central to home devotions at Christmas. The entire family will take part in putting together the scene which can be quite ornate and detailed. Other activities during Advent include participating in or watching the pastorelas, costumed shepherd dramas whose rehearsals start in October and enjoying office parties where workers may be matched in cochombros, a kind of Secret Santa present exchange.
A major part of getting ready for Christmas is the preparation of holiday food and drink. The Christmas Eve meal is often centered on turkey or roast piglet but there are many other traditional Honduran dishes such as meat pie filled with vegetables, raisins, fried plantain and peppers, nactamales, or sartén, green peppers stuffed with sour cream, cottage cheese, milk and corn dough, slow-cooked in an earthenware pot. The seasonal Honduran Christmas drink is eggnog, made from milk, eggs, sugar, cinnamon, cloves, and guaro liquor.
With much of the Honduran population living in the United States it is no surprise that American Christmas customs have penetrated the country. Presents are often exchanged on December 25 instead of on January 6 and Santa Claus has been edging out the Magi as gift-bringer. But most traditions linger. The nine days of the posadas processions are still observed and Christmas mass is still a major attraction in this intensely Catholic land. Christmas trees have still not displaced the nacimiento and Three Kings Day will still see festive parades and the burning of Mr Old Year as the Christmas season comes to a close.
When everyone hates a person, you should investigate thoroughly, and when everyone loves a person, you should also investigate thoroughly.
Every year on Old Christmas Day, January 6, a strange game is played in Haxey, Lincolnshire. A Fool, dressed in red rags with a faced smeared with soot and ochre, opens the proceedings by welcoming all present and declaring that the order of the day is
Hoose agin hoose, town agin town, /And if you meet a man knock him down, /But don’t hurt him.
While he is pronouncing this speech he is being ritually fumigated by a bonfire (see below). He then leads his team of red-clad Boggans and their King Boggan, or Lord of the Hood, to a nearby field where the next several hours the men of the parish will contest for the possession of a a series of “hoods” or rolls of canvas, rope and leather. Visits to local pubs are part of the struggle. The game is said to have links to pre-Christian ritual combats performed as a fertility rite.
And do you think, you fool, that kisses of love are not venomous, because you perceive not the poison? Know that a beautiful person is a more dangerous animal than scorpions, because these cannot wound unless they touch us; but beauty strikes at a distance: from what place soever we can but behold her, she darts her venom upon us, and overthrows our judgment.
Yule was the time amongst the pagan Teutons for the sacrifice of a white horse. Christmas too has ceremonies that focus on horses, though not in such a fatal fashion.
For reasons that remain unclear St Stephen has come to be regarded as the patron saint of horses and therefore his day, December 26, is given over to horse parades, races and special treatment for the animals.
In Wales the Mari Llwyd (“Grey Mare”, pictured above) ceremony involves a man under a white sheet carrying a pole topped by a horse’s head with snapping jaws — it capers, ringing the bells on its sheet, and bites people who have to pay a forfeit to be released. According to legend, the Mari Lwyd is the animal turned out of its stable to make room for the Holy Family; it has been looking for shelter ever since. Accompanied by a group of men, often in mummers’ costumes or bearing bells the Mari Lwyd will approach a house during the Christmas season and the group will beg admittance. After a ritual negotiation that may involve the exchange of humourous verses they will be let inside where the horse will dart about while hospitality is shared.
In England similar horse figures are Old Hob, who went about with a group of men singing and ringing hand bells for a gratuity, and the Hodening Horse of Kent. On the Isle of Man it is the Laare Vane or White Mare which appeared on New Year’s Eve.
In Germany the hobby-horse is called Schimmel (or in some places Schimmelreiter to emphasize the rider). Like the Mari Lwyd it takes part in house visits; jumping about to entertain the children and dancing with pretty girls.
Lord Chi Wen thought three times before taking any action. When the Master heard this, he said: “Twice is plenty enough.”
“Fortuitous” does not mean “fortunate.” It means “by chance” or “unanticipated”; and if your dictionary tells you that it may also be used to mean “fortunate,” then your dictionary is a scented and brilliantined degenerate in a glossy lavender lounge suit who intends to teach your children criminal ways while you are away at the grocery.
Never give a sword to a man who can’t dance.
The Real is that which says to us, “Your preferences have not been considered.”