I was unable to attend this event this year due to still being under the weather. But it is such a beautiful and uniquely New Mexican celebration that I wanted to re-publish this post from last year. I hope you enjoy it.
Photo note: While trying to capture the essence of this night without a flash, many of the images ended up being blurry. I still want to share them with you, though, in an effort to show you how beautiful it was to be there.
A friend and I went to Taos the other night to take in The Lighting of Ledoux. Ledoux Street is one of the older areas of Taos, dotted with museums, galleries and artist’s studios, all open for the event.
My friend, Kim, said it well, standing at the head of the street and gazing in. “This reminds me of an earlier, simpler time. Imagine this at the turn of the century, what it must have looked like. It’s why D.H. Lawrence came and fell in love with the place.” Indeed.
On this night the street was lined with farolitos (paper bags with small candles anchored in sand) and the frigid air was filled with the smoke of luminarias (bonfires of pinon pine), mixing beautifully with the sound of carolers. Children roasted marshmallows on sticks over the fires and strangers greeted each other.
Apparently, the luminarias and the farolitos date back to pre-Christian Spain.
Dory Hurlburt of The Taos News says that according to Pedro Ribera Ortega’s book, Christmas in Old Santa Fe, “Pagan Spaniards lit huge bonfires on hills and mountaintops to celebrate the feasts of ancient gods and goddesses. When St. James the Greater brought Christianity to Spain, the pagan bonfires were baptized to serve the cause of the new religion…
“Farolitos had their origin in the Las Islas Filipinas (the Philippines), according to Ortega. Cultural cross-pollination between the Spanish Philippines and China led the Spanish to adopt the Chinese custom of festive lanterns, which traveled to Mexico via the port of Acapulco and then northward.”
History aside, these plain, beautiful expressions, available to all of us for very little cost, speak of simpler times. So I offer them to you as my gift, with wishes for a simple Christmas, wrapped in peace.
Lighting of Ledoux is a special holiday event that is so-Taos
Merry Christmas!
Love to you all,
Jeane
Simply beautiful Jeane! Thanks. Hope you have a wonderful Christmas too.
Thank you, Sylvia. Wishing you all the blessings of the season.
I loved this…and I’ve loved your FBook page and blog this year. You’ve helped me take an important step and I’m looking forward more this year than I have for a very long time. Thank you….and Merry Christmas to you and all your critters.
Thank you, Kim. I’m so happy you found the blog and that it’s been a support in making new choices. THAT gives me something to celebrate as this new year begins. Thank you.
Jeanne, thanks so much for reminders of what we missed. Good photos and you have the sense of Taos this time of year. Have a happy and successful Holiday Week!! Did you know that Pedro Ribera Ortega lived in Truchas and Isabro lived in his house?
I’m happy I could bring a bit of New Mexico to you there in the mid west. No, I didn’t know about Pedro Ribera Ortega living in Truchas. It truly is a small world.
Check the blog tomorrow. I’ll post pictures of Christmas Day dinner with Barbara, Alvaro, Pierre, Nancy, Paula, Terry, Anna and Bill, among others. Quite a gathering of artists.
Thank you sweetheart for sharing this again this year:) You are a gift that keeps on giving. All the love ever felt for you shall come to you now a hundred fold and speak of the beauty and wholeness of your every cell. Amen and so it is:) XOXOX
Ah, thank you, Grace. As you know we’re mirrors to each other. So back at ‘cha! And so it is.