REPOST: 6. The Heart of the Season: Celebrating the Season with Light…New Mexico Luminarias

(First annual repost , most likely! …with an additional photo )

Happy Holidays to All!

~~By InsightAnalytical-GRL

Although I really don’t celebrate Christmas in a “traditional” way, I do love the lights of the season!  I put up some lights on my little tree out front and enjoy all the displays in the neighborhood.  One in particular is very spectacular this year, in the sidestreet across from me. One house has a great display of  luminaries around its  entire roofline, similiar to what you can see in the first picture below.

From the New Mexico Tourist Board:

Farolitos and Luminarias — a New Mexico Tradition

The beautiful glow illuminating New Mexico’s walkways during the holiday season comes from “farolitos” also called “luminarias” (depending on where you are—north or south). This New Mexico tradition began over 300 years ago when the Spanish villages along the Rio Grande displayed the unique and easy to make Christmas lanterns to light up the dark winter nights. A traditional farolito is made up of a brown paper bag, folded at the top, and partially filled with sand. A lit votive candle placed on top of the sand in the bag creates a warm holiday glow.

Many towns and pueblos hold celebrations and light the luminarias/farolitos on Christmas Eve.  The tradition is also followed throughout the Southwest, as well as parts of California.

Luminarias/Farolitos with Other Lights of the Season

"Old Town" Albuquerque Farolitos

(NMSU Noches de Luminarias, here in Las Cruces. Pic no longer available)

Acoma Pueblo (Sky City)

So, enjoy the lights tonight, whether you’re celebrating Christmas, Chanukah, the Solstice of  last weekend, Kwanzaa or simply enjoying your unadorned Festivus pole!!!

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UPDATE: Last night’s Christmas Eve (2008) celebration in historic Mesilla….

Mesilla Plaza: December 24, 2008

Another view of a Christmas Eve in Mesilla: