Matracas, Pinata (1883)

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Thu May 9 20:51:15 UTC 2002


HAVANA GUIDE BOOK
AND GENERAL DIRECTORY FOR TRAVELLERS ON THE ISLAND OF CUBA
by Jose de J. Costales
Havana: Howson & Heinen
1883

Pg. 15 (Carnival):
   When these are over, comes the _pinata_ which is a large globe of paper filled with a variety of objects suspended over the ball room floor.  About midnight this is lowered sufficiently to be reached by sticks provided for the purpose, and is struck at by volunteers blindfolded for the attempt.  Many fail to hit at all and are rewarded with laughter and jests; while the successful striker fractures the paper globe and brings down with applause the multitude of its contents for a general scramble.
(See prior Cuban "pinata" post--ed.)

Pg. 15:
   On Holy Thursday at eleven in the morning the bells of the churches cease to ring, and all kind of vehicles are (Pg. 16--ed.) withdrawn from the streets; the garrison marches in silence with arms reversed, the national flags are displayed at half mast and the hours of the day are indicated by _matracas_, rattles.
(The revised OED--which we're regularly destroying here--has 1910 for "mattracas"--ed.)

(_WEST BARBARY_ "TOMATO"--On further examination, OED _did_ read this book, and came away with 17 citations.  No "couscous."  No "tomato."  No "souk."  No "posada."  All EEBO material must be re-read!...Andrew Smith _did_ record this tomato.  I was online at the NYU library and had only the only OED.  Thanks also to Duane Campbell.  I'll check for 1500s Spanish "tomato" maybe later today--ed.)



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