Luminarias or farolitos? State historian Rob Martinez sheds light on a New Mexico holiday tradition

Nothing says Christmas in New Mexico like the warm glow of votive candles ensconced in brown paper bags. They adorn sidewalks and rooftops, light the way to churches and illuminate entire neighborhoods. But what to call them? Rob Martinez, New Mexico’s official state historian, sheds some light on the subject.

“Luminarias or farolitos? That’s the question every December here in New Mexico,” Martinez said. “These beautiful lanterns bring a warmth to the night, and to the spirits and souls of visitors from around the world who like to come to New Mexico during this time of year. But, having said that, it’s a slight controversy as to what to call them.”

The competing terms reflect a friendly north-south rivalry.

“From the area of La Bajada down to Albuquerque and all points south, they’re called luminarias. That’s from the Spanish word for ‘illuminate,’” Martinez said. “But once you get north toward Santa Fe and into Taos and Mora and the Pueblos in the north, ‘luminarias’ are bonfires made from stacks of wood, usually pine, which light the path to midnight mass for Catholics. And the little lanterns are called ‘farolitos,’ which is just a Spanish word that means ‘little lantern,’ from ‘faro’ (‘lantern’ or ‘lamp’).”

Martinez said the reason for the north-south linguistic split has been lost to the sands of time. The exact origin of the paper lanterns themselves is also a mystery.

“It’s obviously part of our New Mexico culture, but, like a lot of things, it’s folk culture. It’s folk history. It’s unrecorded,” Martinez said. “In Spain, the Muslim Moors used oil lanterns to light the streets of their great cities, like Cordova and Granada. And Chinese lanterns are thought to have made their way to Manila (in the Philippines) and then on ships to Mexico, finding their way up the Camino Real to New Mexico during the colonial period. … But Americans also made a real contribution by introducing brown paper bags, which result in the beautiful lanterns we have today.”

The first written evidence of festive “luminarias” in New Mexico comes from a Franciscan priest, writing in 1748 about a festival celebrating a new Spanish king.

“He wrote in a document, ‘There were many luminarias that night,’” Martinez said. “But he likely meant bonfires.”

Mass-produced paper bags did not become widely available in the United States, and Territorial New Mexico, until the last quarter of the nineteenth century. So, while the tradition of building bonfires around Christmastime likely goes back earlier, the paper lanterns as we know them are a fairly modern, post-Civil War innovation.

“I think farolitos or luminarias are just one of many examples of how our culture is constantly changing,” Martinez said. “I know people sometimes get a little bit distraught and anxious about people coming from the outside and changing us, but that’s part of history. … If you don’t change, then what you have is a dead culture. You have got to adapt and take what works for you. 

“And I think luminarias or farolitos are an example of that, because they’re not something that dates back to 1598 or 1692. They evolved through the centuries as a Catholic expression, but also a universal expression. It’s Native American, Spanish, Mexican American — all these different peoples coming together and creating something unique.”

Even if this modern tradition is not as old as many people suspect, the flickering light of real fire hearkens back to the days before electricity, giving New Mexico’s holiday season a timeless quality not found in other parts of the country.

“I love Christmas lights … but the difference between modern American Christmas lights and the farolitos or luminarias is that these connect us to the past,” Martinez said. “You feel like you’re doing something very ancient.”

The bags — rectangular and brown — blend with New Mexico’s adobe architecture, although Martinez doubts that was done intentionally.

“I think it’s just serendipity, how that ended up happening, but it fits so well,” he said. “That earthy, organic feel is really inviting, no matter where you’re from, and no matter what your background is.”

These festive lanterns have become an indelible part of New Mexican culture, no matter what one calls them.

“It’s one of the many things that’s unifying for people in New Mexico,” Martinez said. “Kids love them, adults love them and they’re very calming during Advent and la Navidad.”

Logan Royce Beitmen is an arts writer for the Albuquerque Journal. He covers visual art, music, fashion, theater and more. Reach him at lbeitmen@abqjournal.com or on Instagram at @loganroycebeitmen.