Farilitos and Luminarias
Joylyn
from
http://ca.essortment.com/luninarias_recb.htm
Farilitos
and Luminarias
Christmas Eve in New Mexico is a
picturesque event rich in tradition and
cultural heritage. The flickering lights of
farolitos
line the streets and sidewalks of homes
and churches throughout the Land of
Enchantment to celebrate the birth of the
Christ child. For me, the small paper
lanterns symbolically welcome Baby Jesus into
the world, and into our hearts on this
most holy of all nights.
Farolitos is the Spanish word for little
lanterns. In the sixteenth century, small
bonfires called luminarias were burned
alongside the roads and churchyards to
commemorate Christs birth and to guide
people to Midnight Mass the final night of
Las Posadas.
By the early nineteenth century, US
settlers brought beautiful
Chinese lanterns to hang from their
doorways instead of building
bonfires. But the Chinese lanterns were
too expensive so people
began to make small paper lanterns out of
paper sacks as an
alternative.
The night of Las Posadas (Spanish word
meaning lodging or inn) is a
festive celebration that was first
introduced to the Mexican Indians
by European missionaries by reenacting the
story of Mary and
Josephs search for lodging in Bethlehem
in a series of nine
consecutive nights, beginning
December 16th. Each night a group of
carolers would go from house to house and
sing a song in Spanish pleading for food
and shelter. Some homes would turn them
away, but others would invite them in and
offer posole, red and green chile
stews, Christmas Eve tamales, biscoshitos,
etc.
These plays originally were conducted in
the churches but eventually moved into
peoples homes. Now Las Posadas is
done in just one evening; Christmas Eve.
After the festivities are complete, everyone
then goes to Christmas Mass, and
the luminarias and farolitos show the way.
Farolitos are easy to make and add beauty
and tradition to your Christmas celebration.
All you need are: paper sacks,
sand, and votive candles. If the wind is
blowing hard the night you put them out,
place a small brick or rocks inside the bag
to weight it down. Line the bags in a row
on the edges of your sidewalks and driveways.
A modern variation of these decorations
are electric lights in bags and you can find
them
in many stores. However, personally I
think the homemade ones are the prettiest.
Albuquerques Old Town has farolitos lined
all down its streets on Christmas Eve, as do
other towns like Santa Fe, Taos and Las
Cruces. They even have bus tours so that the
area isnt as congested with traffic.
You can of course get together with others
in your community and set up your own
farolitos display in your neighborhood.
There are ways to make your farolitos more
decorative. Stencil Christmas patterns onto
the front of your bags, and using an
ex-acto knife, cut out the patterns, then
tape colored
crepe paper inside the bags.
A final note. People in Albuquerque tend
to call the paper bag lanterns, luminarias,
but
natives from Santa Fe insist the correct
term is farolitos. As I mentioned earlier, a
true
luminaria is a series of small bonfires
lining the roads. Whatever you choose to call
them is up to you. But do think about
setting some out this Christmas and add a
new tradition to your holidays no matter
where you live.
--
Joylyn
Mom to Lexie (6) and Janene (3)
For great nursing clothes and slings, go to
www.4mommyandme.com
"Wasn't it Mark Twain who said it takes a
very dull person to spell a word only one
way?"
http://ca.essortment.com/luninarias_recb.htm
Farilitos
and Luminarias
Christmas Eve in New Mexico is a
picturesque event rich in tradition and
cultural heritage. The flickering lights of
farolitos
line the streets and sidewalks of homes
and churches throughout the Land of
Enchantment to celebrate the birth of the
Christ child. For me, the small paper
lanterns symbolically welcome Baby Jesus into
the world, and into our hearts on this
most holy of all nights.
Farolitos is the Spanish word for little
lanterns. In the sixteenth century, small
bonfires called luminarias were burned
alongside the roads and churchyards to
commemorate Christs birth and to guide
people to Midnight Mass the final night of
Las Posadas.
By the early nineteenth century, US
settlers brought beautiful
Chinese lanterns to hang from their
doorways instead of building
bonfires. But the Chinese lanterns were
too expensive so people
began to make small paper lanterns out of
paper sacks as an
alternative.
The night of Las Posadas (Spanish word
meaning lodging or inn) is a
festive celebration that was first
introduced to the Mexican Indians
by European missionaries by reenacting the
story of Mary and
Josephs search for lodging in Bethlehem
in a series of nine
consecutive nights, beginning
December 16th. Each night a group of
carolers would go from house to house and
sing a song in Spanish pleading for food
and shelter. Some homes would turn them
away, but others would invite them in and
offer posole, red and green chile
stews, Christmas Eve tamales, biscoshitos,
etc.
These plays originally were conducted in
the churches but eventually moved into
peoples homes. Now Las Posadas is
done in just one evening; Christmas Eve.
After the festivities are complete, everyone
then goes to Christmas Mass, and
the luminarias and farolitos show the way.
Farolitos are easy to make and add beauty
and tradition to your Christmas celebration.
All you need are: paper sacks,
sand, and votive candles. If the wind is
blowing hard the night you put them out,
place a small brick or rocks inside the bag
to weight it down. Line the bags in a row
on the edges of your sidewalks and driveways.
A modern variation of these decorations
are electric lights in bags and you can find
them
in many stores. However, personally I
think the homemade ones are the prettiest.
Albuquerques Old Town has farolitos lined
all down its streets on Christmas Eve, as do
other towns like Santa Fe, Taos and Las
Cruces. They even have bus tours so that the
area isnt as congested with traffic.
You can of course get together with others
in your community and set up your own
farolitos display in your neighborhood.
There are ways to make your farolitos more
decorative. Stencil Christmas patterns onto
the front of your bags, and using an
ex-acto knife, cut out the patterns, then
tape colored
crepe paper inside the bags.
A final note. People in Albuquerque tend
to call the paper bag lanterns, luminarias,
but
natives from Santa Fe insist the correct
term is farolitos. As I mentioned earlier, a
true
luminaria is a series of small bonfires
lining the roads. Whatever you choose to call
them is up to you. But do think about
setting some out this Christmas and add a
new tradition to your holidays no matter
where you live.
--
Joylyn
Mom to Lexie (6) and Janene (3)
For great nursing clothes and slings, go to
www.4mommyandme.com
"Wasn't it Mark Twain who said it takes a
very dull person to spell a word only one
way?"