Farolitos
Sunday, December 17th, 2006 -- J. DoeYesterday as I was walking outside I saw my landlord putting up a row of paper bags alongside his house. “What are those bags ?” I asked him while pointing to one. “They are farolitos.” He responded. “Faro WHAT ?” I asked. And he replied “Farolitos. They are a New Mexican Christmas decoration. They are traditional. These one I am using are electric, but many times they are just paper bags filled with sand and candles.” “Oh.” I responded, not thinking that a row of brown paper bags was very aesthetically appealing, as Christmas decorations usually are.
Nevertheless, when I got home I did like any other computer geek would do. I Googled ‘farolitos’, I wanted to know their history and why they are a New Mexico tradition. I found out that what are called ‘ farolitos’ in Santa Fe and other Northern New Mexican towns are called ‘luminarias’ in Albuquerque and other Southern or Central New Mexican towns. New Mexico is very unlike New Jersey or California where I have also lived. They have a lot of traditions here, many of them Spanish in origin.
This is what I found.
At nighttime I left the house to take a look at these farolitos. They look pretty.
Here is a picture of some farolitos at night:
i used to see those in austin, i just didn’t know they had a name
wow - just amazing! What an educational post for all of us.
I can’t help but notice that awesome sky in the background too!
Thanks Expat traveler. I liked the photo too. The photographer who took that photo really take beautiful pictures. here is the link:
http://www.nau.edu/~cline...knap/photos/assign7b.html
lol - I was going to say the same thing as Tracie! we have those in texas, but I never heard the name!
The biggest problem with Christmas wrapping paper is that it is often hard to use, and if you don’t get the right stuff, it rips when you least expect it, or doesn’t cover the gift properly. Christmas wrapping paper is often a pain to store, and by the time the next year rolls around, the paper you may have been saving has probably been crushed beyond any hope of saving.
If you have this problem, you have to find a way to save it. Some people like to buy Christmas wrapping paper right after the holiday to use the next year, and this must also be saved safely or the money you saved means nothing. You can buy bins that are especially made to store Christmas wrapping paper, or any other paper for that matter, safely and securely. You can also store tape, scissors, bows, and ribbons in the same container. When you do this, your Christmas wrapping paper is safe and secure, and left in exactly the same condition it was when you put it in there.
Albuquerque looks amazing this time of year. Traditionally homes and churches would put up the farolitos aka luminarias “to light the way for the Christ child” but today many business put them up along the rooftops and driveways. If you are ever in Albuquerque I recommend going to the botanical gardens around Christmas time as there is a light show called RIVER OF LIGHTS in which light sculptures are everywhere as well as carolers and vendors selling hot chocolate. It’s a great way to spend a ‘family’ evening that does not involve malls and the ‘Christmas rush’