Christmas Luminarias, Farolitos, Bonfires and Other Light
About .com Southwest Christmas Traditions
What are Farolitos and Luminarias?
Christmas in the southwest is a beautiful time. As many areas have mild evening temperatures, outdoor celebrations have become holiday traditions. Lighting the way to a festive time in the southwest are luminarias or farolitos. Simply put, these are candles carefully placed in sand inside a bag, providing a warm glow at night.
In the Beginning, Bonfires Led the Way
These lights have their roots in the 1800′s. Small bonfires, like the current day bonfires on the corners of Canyon Road in Santa Fe, were used to guide people to Christmas Mass. Quite often they were set out during the final night of Las Posadas, the symbolic representation of Mary and Joseph seeking shelter in Bethlehem walking from home to home before Jesus was born.
In later days, children carried small farolitos as they reenacted Las Posadas.
How to Use Luminarias and Farolitos
Now people use luminarias or farolitos to decorate the path to their door as well as outlining the roofline of their home with these warm inviting lights. People in Albuquerque tend to call the paper bag lanterns, luminarias, but natives from Santa Fe insist the correct term is farolitos. Historically, a true luminaria is a series of small bonfires lining the roads. We use the terms interchangeably. [more ]