19th Century California: Parties

Meriendas, Fandangos, and Carnes Tolendas

Jul 23, 2007 Irma Briggs

After California became a Mexican province, social events and dances became the order of the day for many Californios. Here's a look at the how they celebrated.

When Mexico won its independence from Spain in 1821, California became a Mexican province. It was a time of fine, peaceful, abundant and carefree life in California. Vast tracts of land overflowed with cattle, horses and sheep. The Indians did all the work which left the Californios with plenty of time for fun and amusement.

Alfred Robinson, in his book Life in California, (Da Capo Press, 1969) describes a picnic or Merienda. A procession of four oxcarts, the first three carrying the hostess, relatives, guests, children and nannies, and the fourth carrying the food consisting of roast turkey, chicken, beef, mutton, tamales, dulces, pastries, fruit and sweetmeats, all headed for Laguna Blanca (White Lake). Following behind were fifteen to twenty people on horseback. The food was arranged on a spread of white table cloth on the grass. Entertainment was provided by riders displaying their expertise. People sang and played the guitar.

Robinson also describes what happened at a dance or Fandango. Young women were seated on the sides of a 50' x 20' room. Lively music played and a dance manager approached the nearest lady. Clapping his hands, she stood up and followed him to the center, tapping her feet on the floor. She swirled twice or thrice and danced back to her seat. The procedure was repeated until all the ladies had been complimented. If a man was attracted to a woman, he placed his hat on her head while she was in the middle of the room. When he took it back, he handed her a small present. Then the watz began and couples danced gaily around the room.

Everyone was welcome at these Fandangos. In It's an Old California Custom, by Lee Shippey (Vanguard Press, 1948), gives an account of a gallant caballero who crashed a Fandango and danced with the senoritas. Before he left, he bowed and kissed a senorita's hand and said, "Accept the compliments of Joaquin." She never knew that she had danced with the dreaded bandit, Joaquin Murietta!

Sometimes the fun got out of hand. Robinson relates the Battle with Eggs or carnes tolendas. It actually means "Forbidden Meat" as Catholics do not eat meat on Good Friday. Although it was usually held three days before Ash Wednesday, Robinson describes it as a wedding feast. The guests had egg ammunition emptied of their contents and replaced with Cologne or scented water. The holes at both ends were sealed with wax. They bashed each other's heads with the eggs and when these were depleted, they resorted to throwing or slapping each other with napkins. These exhausted, they graduated to throwing tumblers of water and then to pitchers, and on to buckets until they were all tired out.

Two padres happened to be present. When the bucket fights became heated, the padres attacked each other with floods of water. One retreated into a room and closed the door. The other pursued him and opened the door. Seeing no way out, the pursued got the chamber pot from under the bed and threw it full into the pursuing padre's face. The poor pursuing padre lost two front teeth besides...!

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