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Show . , ml the cololu-atum of wilted States and t over tho Wrth of ..fia has always at- attention of travelers I tlU 1 lot has Wen said , 9rii,r- . about tho illfferoneo of STOSons about ChrlHtinas coming in nu)Hj l.ntln Anu-rU-un countries-at tho height of the summer holidays. Also widely publicized has boon tho Importance glwn to New Year's ami to Jan. (ith, known in KiiRland as "Twelfth Night" and in Spain as the "Day of the Kings" on whleh tho three Magi, taking the place of Santa Chuis, brings toys to the children. That Christmas Christ-mas day is more one of gaiety and frivolous recreation than a family 'in several regions and for the fact that "different versions of the same song are often familiar over a very wide area, the very old folk melodies having come originally from the mother land and been spread by the early colonists Into parts of South America which are today different countries. We are told that carols were sung in Lima as 'early as the 16th century and that very beautiful ones were imported im-ported from Spain at the beginning begin-ning of the 17th century. The basic bas-ic Latin American carol is there fore definitely of Spanish or Por- occasion as it is in this country.4 has also been stressed. People, however, seem to overlook over-look one of the universal aspects of the celebration of Christmas, forgetting that, from pole to pole, on a certain night in December, the occidental world greets with the singing of carols the advent of the new-born Babe. No exception excep-tion to the rule, Latin America lifts up its voice, around this time of the year, to carol with "villan-cicos,' "villan-cicos,' "aguinaldos" and the typical typi-cal songs of the "posadas." Christmas songs of the other Americas are principally of Spanish Span-ish or Portuguese origin. This accounts ac-counts for the similarity of tunes tuguese tradition. It is often sung at the end of Midnight Mass, Misa de Gallo, to the accompaniment accompani-ment of tambourines and castanets, casta-nets, a pleasing and somewhat surprising contrast after the serious, ser-ious, solemn music of the Mass. But these gay, vivacious "villanci-cos' "villanci-cos' such is their Spanish name are not only performed in church. In many countries of Latin Amer-ict, Amer-ict, as in other parts of the world, it is the custom for groups of singers sing-ers and players to go from house to . house during the Christmas season. They are usually given some small gift or refreshment, hence the name "aguinaldo" (Christmas or New Year's gift) of some of these carols. They are particularly characteristic of the Dominican Republic and of other Carribbean countries. But Latin America has placed her own stamp on many of these Yule songs. Mexico leads the way with those celebrating the famous "Posadas." The Posado, from the Spanish word inn, or lodging place, is a pious tradition which commemorates com-memorates the time when the Virgin and St. Joseph tried unsuccessfully unsuc-cessfully to find shelter in Bethlehem. Beth-lehem. Several rooms in each house are decorated gaily and a procession made of the members of th"e family led by the childlren passes through the house singing songs and asking shelter. This ceremony takes place during the nine days preceding Christmas. "On Christmas Eve, during the last "Posada," the Holy Infant is sung to sleep with a song called "El Rorro" (Babe in arms), the only c31e song which many Indians In-dians know and which they sing in their own language. In Chile, many "viUancicoa" are transposed to the music of the Cueca, the national na-tional dance, whi:e in other countries coun-tries words of traditional Spanish Christmas songs are sometimes adapted to native music, or simply a peculiar indigenous rhythm is introduced into the old Spanish melody. And so, Latin America, like the rest of the world, sings at Christmas, Christ-mas, celebrating the "Noche Bue-na," Bue-na," the "Good Night", as it is called in Spanish. With tambourines tambou-rines and castanets, with Indian rhythm and Spanish words as well as with English carols of British tradition and the singling of sleigh bells in the snow, the Americas join the choir of angels singing "Peace on Earth." |