"Christmas is in Guadalaxara," says Mr. Hardy, "a season of great
diversion. The portales (colonades), which are much better than those of
the city of Mexico, and infinitely more numerous, are all well lighted
up with candles, surrounded by coloured paper shades, standing on little
tables, which display a great assortment of sweetmeats and fruits. The
ladies and gentlemen walk about, finely dressed, under the portale, and
convert it into a fashionable promenade.--From seven till ten, there is
not perhaps a single family in the whole town which has not taken a few
turns in their gayest dresses, to witness the sweetmeat exhibition--to
see and to be seen. It may be well to give the traveller a gentle hint
with respect to the 25th of December: nothing borrowed on that day is
ever returned. It is, in short, to the Mexicans, who call it. 'La noche
buena,' what April fool-day is to us. Therefore, traveller, beware!
It is the occasion of much frolic and amusement."