The legend of the Luminaria
By
Dus T. Wrangler UUUUUU

Lubbock

has long embraced a collection of colorful characters and legends associated with Christmas time. There is of course Pancho Claus, the south of the border version of Santa. And there is the story of the Tumbleweed Christmas tree, where a tumbleweed was substituted for the traditional evergreen. But perhaps my favorite story is the story of the Luminarias.
Anyone living of the plains for any length of time has experienced the fury of what we Llanoers term a "Blue Northern". The term is supposed to have come from the Calvary pursuing the Comanches during the Red River War, when the cold fronts would erupt without much warning from the north with bitter winds that would turn the lips of the solders blue. This may in fact not be the true origin of the phrase, but this is my story, and I prefer it.
Well it was during one of these 'blue northerns' that a cowhand, let's call him Cale found himself in a compromising position. It was Christmas Eve. He was in pursuit of a lost calf, riding his old paint horse up and down the ravines of the canyons when the sky swelled like a dark purple bruise and the wind changed. The chill was ruthless, and the snow quickly followed. Cale, a young and inexperienced cowboy, found himself lost. All directions seemed the same, and every one led him nowhere. The wind raged. The cowboy's old paint carried his head low to the ground, and barely moved. Cale knew that he was doomed as the light of day faded, and the wind refused to let up.
And then in the distance, the young cowhand noticed a tiny light that seemed to dance through the snow, beckoning him. He kicked the old paint and worked his way slowly against the wind until finally he came to the source of the light. A tiny adobe hut stood, nestled in the arms of the canyon. In one of the windows a small votive candle burned determined against the chill and the night. A Luminary or Farilito as the Spanish call them. A bent Mexican man stood in the doorway. Motioning for both cowboy and horse to come inside. Once inside Cale was given a steamy helping of beans and fresh tortillas. The old man just smiled. Never saying a word. The old paint munched on the stray that covered the floor of the tiny casita. The fire that blazed in the chimney warmed Cale bones, and he drifted off to sleep.
The young cowboy awoke in the morning to the cold nuzzling of his old paint horse. He jerked awake, the memories of the night rushing over him. But to his surprise, there was no abode casita, no old Mexican man, no warm fire. Only the snow covered ground of the canyon. The 'blue northern' had faded, and just the chill of the morning was left. Not far away, the lone calf bellowed for its lost mother. Cale gathered up the calf, and returned to the ranch headquarters, where everyone was worried for the young cowhand. And it was on Christmas day that Cale told the story of the Luminaria to the gathered cowboys around a raging fire.
Now down through the ages, lights have served as beacons for weary travelers. It is said that shepherds marked the way to the manager of the Christ child with small bonfires. For centuries, to symbolize this tradition, the people of Mexico have gathered on Christmas Eve to light bonfires in the village commons, to pray, sing, and welcome the Christ child. After the celebration, smaller bonfires were built in front of each home to welcome the baby Jesus.
During the 16th century. Small bonfires called luminarias were burned alongside the roads and churchyards to commemorate Christ's birth and to guide people to Midnight Mass the final night if Las Posadas.
Las Posadas. (Spanish word meaning lodging or inn). Is a festive celebration that was first introduced to the Mexican Indians by European missionaries by reenacting the story of Mary and Joseph's search in Bethlehem in a series of nine consecutive nights, beginning December 16th. Each night a group of carolers would go from house to house and sing a song in Spanish pleading for food and shelter. Some homes would turn them away, but others would invite them in and offer posole, red and green chile stews, Christmas Eve tamales, and biscoshitos. These plays originally were conducted in the churches but eventually moved into people's homes. Now Las Posadas is done in just one evening; Christmas Eve. After the festivities are complete, everyone goes
to Christmas Mass, and the luminarias and farolitos show the way.
During the 19th century in northern New Mexico, these bonfires were made from criss-crossing pinon sticks to light the path to their homes. Early in the 20th century, one family had been unable to adequately prepare the traditional home bonfire because of illness in their family. As the holiday season drew near, the youngest child placed a broken candle in a paper bag partially filled with sand, and placed it outside their home to keep the tradition and welcoming sprit alive. These "little lights" or farolitos have become one of the most popular ways for people to extend this custom to the present day.
People in Albuquerque call the paper bag lanterns, luminarias, but natives from Santa Fe insist the correct term is farolitos. A true luminaria is a series of small bonfires lining the roads.
Farolitos and luminarias are easy to make. And they add beauty and tradition to your Christmas celebration that embraces so much that defines the Spirit of Lubbock. Take a small paper sack, fill it with sand, and place a small votive candle inside, careful to center it so that it does not catch the bag on fire. If the wind is blowing you may need to place rocks inside the bag to stabilize it. One way to make the farolitos more decorative is to stencil patterns on the bag and using an ex-acto knife, cut out the patterns and tape colored crepe paper inside the bags.
Now whether the story of the cowboy is true or not does matter. What matters is that around Christmas time, you can drive around Lubbock and see the luminaries lining the walkways to the homes, an alternative to the lights strung along the roofs. And on those cold December nights you can still feel the warmth that the young cowboy felt that fateful Christmas Eve night, guided by the luminaria.

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