Christmas

Christmas as seen through the eyes of children is one of the most special things there is. Generation after generation, the Christmas spirit continues to grow within each of us and every family, every home, celebrates in its own way.

Over the years, traditions have changed and many children now receive their presents from Santa Claus, whereas in the past children had to wait until the night of 5 January, forging their patience and resilience, but it was all worth it for the wonderful reward that awaited them on the magical 6th.

In our village, as in many other places, Christmas is a time of reflection, of thanksgiving, of family celebration, of fun, of colour.

In today’s journey, I would like to retrieve the memories of several children from Purchena who have come to me through the little elves that hide in the sock drawer of every house, or in the trunk of the trees in the squares, or in the empty salt and pepper pots. Because yes, the little elves are everywhere, watching what we do during the year, noting our successes and our blunders to make a final tally on New Year’s Eve, and all this without us knowing anything about it.

They, like magic, exist, and only those with the cleanest and purest sight will be able, once alone, to see the trail of glitter they leave behind when they take flight in the middle of the night…

Our next protagonist, Manolo, who was only 8 years old at the time, told me that he once saw the little green elf who lives in the church organ.

It was on Three Kings’ Day in 1970. It was freezing cold, the few cars that were parked in the streets of the village already had a thick layer of frost on them when the children went to the church to collect the presents brought to them by their Majesties the Three Wise Men from the East.

The children at that time, including Manolo, were not very well dressed even though it was winter and very cold. That day, the boy was wearing shorts with a red jumper and yellow socks. His shoes had a hole in them and his knees were knocked down, as they say here, from a fall. On top of that, a brown braid and a scarf knitted by her grandmother.

Life in those years was not as good as it is now. People worked long hours to make a decent living, and most families lived tightly so that all their children, who were also more than now, would grow up healthy and strong. Nor could they afford so many luxuries. By luxuries we mean, perhaps, chocolates or better clothes.

So the children didn’t have so many toys, so whatever the Three Wise Men brought them was a big deal. In the weeks leading up to Three Kings’ Day, the eyes of all the children in Purchena would glaze over as they passed the Pepe Gómez shop window full of regulation balls, dolls, Indians, cooking sets and little trucks.

Little Manolo, who was looking expectantly at the name reader in the pulpit of the church, was very nervous to hear his name to pick up whatever they had brought him. He was crossing his fingers that Gaspar, his favourite, would give it to him.

Ten or fifteen children collected their gifts, and the kings rose up from their thrones with parsimony as the reader boy, who was the usual altar boy, rolled up the paper and began to descend from the altar.

So there was nothing for Manolo… Crestfallen, he was already on his way out into the street when he looked up and saw some golden dust suspended on the railing of the church choir. He blinked several times until he saw a small bug crawl through an organ pipe, but not before, it seemed to Manolo, waving to him. He shook his head several times and rubbed his eyes. What had he just seen?

He came out of his reverie when someone tapped him on the shoulder. It was King Gaspar, with his brown beard and immaculate white gloves. Manolo sensed a familiar look in his majesty’s eyes. His moustache seemed to twitch and King Gaspar adjusted it as a chuckle escaped him and he held out his hand to the boy. Then he handed him an orange, and Manolo’s eyes lit up. He took the orange and ran home, unable to believe the gift his majesties had given him, and that night he couldn’t sleep with emotion and gratitude.

An orange! An orange! —The Three Wise Men had remembered him!

Many years later, three girls returning from their music lessons at the conservatory, Ana, María José and Alejandra exclaimed with the same enthusiasm as they entered the bridge of Purchena: «A star! A star!» —referring to the great shining golden star perched on the slopes of the hill of Purchena castle as the bearer of good news and prosperity.

The star made the town look like an authentic Middle Eastern village from many years ago; Purchena, under the immensity of the winter sky, evoked Bethlehem more than ever, the nativity scene; the little white houses with red tiles sheltered under the mantle of pine trees of the Filabres.

And do you know the most curious thing about this whole story? That exactly the same expression, «A star! A star!», was exclaimed by the Cuadrilla de las Ánimas on Christmas Eve 1942 when a shooting star crossed the firmament that night.

Those who saw it made a wish, secret and dear to each one of them, and continued singing with the rattles, mandolin, guitarrillo, tambourines, cymbals and zambomba asking for the aguinaldo…

A las ánimas benditas, no hay que cerrarles la puerta

Con decirles que perdonen, ellas se van muy contentas.

Ellas se van muy contentas, dales limosna por Dios

A las ánimas benditas, que la piden con dolor.

Dale, dale su santa limosna a las ánimas benditas

Dale, dale su santa limosna que son pobrecitas.

Repara y verás, el cuadro, de las ánimas benditas

Y verás qué amargo llanto, que llevan las pobrecitas.

Que llevan las pobrecitas, dales limosna por Dios

A las ánimas benditas, que la piden con dolor.

Dale, dale su santa limosna a las ánimas benditas

Dale, dale su santa limosna que son pobrecitas.

A tu puerta hemos llegado cuatrocientos en cuadrilla

Si quieres que te cantemos, saca cuatrocientas sillas.

Saca cuatrocientas sillas, y una limosna por Dios

A las ánimas benditas, que la piden con dolor.

Dale, dale su santa limosna a las ánimas benditas

Dale, dale su santa limosna que son pobrecitas.