ciadoncha; ¡cuántos recuerdos - Webpages at SCU - Santa Clara ...

For families, having a son be a priest was one of the largest honors. Even larger
when a boy was invited to enter the seminary. The parents did not hesitate in letting him
go, they even they encouraged it. There were some youths that did not finish their
training in the seminary and they returned home before the permanent votes occurred.
Other remained in this religious life for many years. With time, the majority of men have
left the habits, but there still remains some nuns serving in Spain and in other countries.
There was an era where many girls from small towns, like Ciadoncha, went to the
large cities chicas de servicio (girls that work in houses for a salary). One participant
remember that Thursdays were the day that Espolón in Burgos filled with girls. The
majority were young girls that had left their town in search of something better. “It was
not rare to find an acquaintance and you would then pass the afternoon chatting and
strolling with her,” commented the participant.
Other girls went to convents. They went to Opus Dei to learn how to serve the
members or to live in relatives homes in the large cities. The parents would let them go
with the hope that they would learn more being outside than by remaining in the town.
Nevertheless, several returned after two or three years to continue their life where it had
begun.
Youth hood in the 40s, ready to take a stroll.
Photo provided by Arcadio Varona
When I spoke of the theme of youth hood with the participants, I could tell that
this phase of life was lived in different ways according to each generation. The elders
remember how they enjoyed going to the dance parlors that there were in Ciadoncha.
These parlors had an organ player that played double steps and all types of music. The
youth of the yesteryears would go here to dance and meet people from other towns. That
is how many outsiders came to live in Ciadoncha. The lack of transportation facilities
made it more difficult to travel to the city of Burgos, therefore, the youth of the 40s
remained in the neighboring towns for entertainment.
The next generation no longer enjoyed the dance parlors. They remember the
walks on foot from Presencio to the Tornos. Groups of girls would go and the boys
followed them. If some boy had intentions of talking to one of the girls, he would
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