Happy Holidays from our family to yours!
Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year from our family to yours! We celebrate Christmas (in a slightly overly-decorated, Griswold Family Christmas sort of way) so Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night ;-)!
Angela and I packed the boys up and headed for New Mexico and Wisconsin to visit our families for the holidays. While in Albuquerque with Angela’s family we partook in a tradition dating back to the 1500’s, the lighting of the Christmas Eve luminarias. A luminaria is a very basic lantern made of a brown paper bag, sand for weight and a candle. The towns of Albuquerque and Santa Fe are famous for their luminaria displays.
Here’s our little “Casita” in Los Ranchos. During the fall and winter months New Mexico is a wonder for the senses. The incense of burning Piñon wood fills the air along with roasting red peppers. Hot air balloonists still brave the cold air and unpredictable weather that can turn from a beautiful 60 degree day to an unforgiving blizzard.
Los Ranchos is a beautiful neighborhood along the Rio Grande in Albuquerque. We did a midnight drive and the whole area was glowing warmly. Even though these photographs show our point of view on this night, this tradition reaches across the entire Southwest.
Jennifer H - What beautiful Christmas photos, David. I had no idea about the Luminaria tradition. You captures the winter glow beautifully.January 25, 2011 – 7:33 pm