This story originally misstated the date of the Noche de Luminarias event at New Mexico State University, and has been corrected.
If you’ve lived in New Mexico for any length of time, you no doubt already know that as the holiday season swings into prominence, so, too, does the tradition of lighting luminarias along walkways, roads and buildings. Throughout the month of December, luminarias (or farolitos, if you’re so inclined) light up the night from Santa Fe to Mesilla and beyond, sparking joy and comfort wherever viewed. In Las Cruces, it begins with New Mexico State University’s Noche de Luminarias, on December 8.
From there, every evening tree lighting ceremony, winter festival, fiesta, or holiday celebration employs the tradition, and we love them for it. All it takes is a stack of brown paper bags, a pile of sand, a passel of tea lights and a crew of conscripts to assemble and line them up. If you grew up here, you were most likely one of those conscripts and have the burn scars to prove it.
As ubiquitous as this tradition is, however, there are many who are unfamiliar with the history of the luminaria. How and when did the tradition get its start? There are many different speculations. The tradition of lighting luminarias is older than New Mexico itself, and to say it’s steeped in cultural significance is an understatement. One thing we do know is that the Spanish brought it with them during their days of conquest and colonization.
Some believe it entered their ethnic vernacular in the Philippine Islands, where Chinese culture was prevalent and included the widespread use of paper lanterns. Catholicism, being what it has always been, syncretized the custom and brought it with them to the new world. Interestingly enough, paper bags weren’t introduced until 1872, so the supposition isn’t without its flaws.
Another belief is that the tradition dates back to 1590, when one Gaspar Castano de Sosa and his men lit small stacks of piñon bark and dry wood to guide scouts back to their camp. Apparently, the Pueblo people saw this and integrated it into their customs while performing traditional dances. Catholics just thought the little bonfires looked pretty and decided to use them in their religious ceremonies.
Interesting fact, it is this viewpoint that explains the luminaria/farolito debate. In northern New Mexico, “farolito” is the word for the paper lantern, while “luminaria” is the word used to describe the small, paperless bonfires. Here in the south, they’re all luminarias because they illuminate the night. There’s no right or wrong way to say it, except that depending on where you live, it could brand you as an outsider.
The anthropological perspective on the history of the luminaria is that it had something to do with the winter solstice, which is celebrated throughout the world in different ways. This being the darkest time of the year, torches and lanterns were an integral part of many religious and cultural celebrations in lands where daylight was limited. Again, owing to syncretization, Catholic Spain brought those traditions with them, changing them to suit the situations as they arose.
Whatever the genesis, the tradition spread like wildfire throughout the Spanish territories. In fact, these days, what started as a quaint custom with nebulous beginnings has become a symbol of hope in times of darkness. The American Cancer Society uses luminarias as a symbol of remembrance and hope to honor cancer survivors and those who have lost the battle to cancer. The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention uses luminarias to memorialize those lost to suicide. And all across the nation, luminarias are used to light paths, line streets and delineate buildings, structures and even ships at sea.
As traditions go, this one doesn’t appear to be winking out any time soon. For a full list of events making use of luminarias, check out our calendars in the Las Cruces Bulletin, Desert Exposure, both of their websites, and the regularly produced newsletters for both.