Farolitos

A hotel in the heart of Santa Fe

Deciding to leave New England for a bit and take in the high bright days and festive nights of northern New Mexico, I have returned to Santa Fe where holiday farolitos decorate roof-tops around town.  Hotels, galleries, shops, homes.

Farolitos are made by putting enough sand in a brown paper bag to secure a candle which is then lit at twilight to shine quite gloriously as evening and night come on.  With its soft glow, the effect is enchanting.  Of course, nowadays (especially when decorating hotel roof-tops), the "paper bags" are plastic and the "candles" are electric.  Easy on, easy off, no accidental fires.  And no stand-by crew to relight flames that go out.

Two of many Canyon Road art galleries adorned with farolitos.

Another Canyon Road gallery--no farolitos but plenty of lights

For a reason I never learned, this part of  New Mexico calls these decorations farolitos (little lanterns) but just south of here, including the city of Albuquerque, they are called luminarias.  Santa Fe has luminarias, too, but they are small pinon-wood bonfires lit on Christmas Eve--said to light the way for the Christ child.  People congregate by them  to warm themselves since the altitude here is 7,500 feet and winter evenings are decidedly cold.  On Christmas Eve, during the annual Canyon Road Farolito Walk, one finds this street of art galleries lined with the softly glowing farolito lights as well as luminaria bonfires as people parade up and down, and the art galleries pass out hot cider.  (I've been known to take a thermos with a hot toddy, as well.)

I found this charming gingerbread rendering in the La Fonda Hotel.  Its farolitos, trimming upper and lower roofs, were blinking on and off.

Another thousand lights decorate the heart of town, the Plaza, once the end of the Santa Fe Trail. 

The Plaza

To all, then, I send warm and glowing holiday wishes!

With special thanks to my friend, Christi, who drove me around town one night so I could photograph the lights.