Page:Haiti- Her History and Her Detractors.djvu/320

 284 The civil marriage, adopted in Haiti at the beginning of her independence, is generally followed by the religious ceremony. The Catholic Church likewise takes many precautions against clandestine marriages. Notice of the projected marriage must be given out from the pulpit in the church of the parish to which each party belongs and no ceremony can be performed without the presentation of the certificate of the civil marriage.

Every family strives to have a comfortable home. The houses are furnished with good taste, according to the means of their owners. Men and women alike dress well; those whose income permits it, order their clothes from Paris. They are fond of entertaining; the christening of a child, engagements (fiançailles), birthday and wedding anniversaries, all of these occasions form a pretext for entertaining. Other striking characteristics of the Haitians are their open-heartedness and straightforwardness; their word may be relied upon, and in friendship they are sincere and devoted. They are intensely patriotic, although they will be the first to laugh at their own failings and shortcomings. This tendency to treat everything with raillery is strongly noticeable in the popular songs. During the festivities of the carnival the satiric spirit knows no restraint. Woe to those whose conduct has not been blameless. From the President of Haiti down to the humblest citizen no one whose behavior has merited it is immune from the attack in the popular songs; in spite of the comical form in which it is clothed this has become a great moral force, and many men and women who might be inclined to do otherwise behave so as to avoid becoming the theme of a song which would soon be heard about the streets in every part of the city.

One of the characteristic features of the Haitian woman is her strong sense of duty. As a devoted wife and unrivalled mother she is always prepared to make any sacrifice in order to secure the happiness of her family. Upon getting married she willingly gives up worldly pleasures in order to devote herself to her