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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鈥檚 official state historian, sheds some light on the subject.

鈥淟uminarias or farolitos? That鈥檚 the question every December here in New Mexico,鈥� Martinez said. 鈥淭hese 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鈥檚 a slight controversy as to what to call them.鈥�

The competing terms reflect a friendly north-south rivalry.

鈥淔rom the area of La Bajada down to sa国际传媒官网网页入口 and all points south, they鈥檙e called luminarias. That鈥檚 from the Spanish word for 鈥榠lluminate,鈥欌�� Martinez said. 鈥淏ut once you get north toward Santa Fe and into Taos and Mora and the Pueblos in the north, 鈥榣uminarias鈥� are bonfires made from stacks of wood, usually pine, which light the path to midnight mass for Catholics. And the little lanterns are called 鈥榝arolitos,鈥� which is just a Spanish word that means 鈥榣ittle lantern,鈥� from 鈥榝aro鈥� (鈥榣antern鈥� or 鈥榣amp鈥�).鈥�

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.

鈥淚t鈥檚 obviously part of our New Mexico culture, but, like a lot of things, it鈥檚 folk culture. It鈥檚 folk history. It鈥檚 unrecorded,鈥� Martinez said. 鈥淚n 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. 鈥� But Americans also made a real contribution by introducing brown paper bags, which result in the beautiful lanterns we have today.鈥�

The first written evidence of festive 鈥渓uminarias鈥� in New Mexico comes from a Franciscan priest, writing in 1748 about a festival celebrating a new Spanish king.

鈥淗e wrote in a document, 鈥楾here were many luminarias that night,鈥欌�� Martinez said. 鈥淏ut he likely meant bonfires.鈥�

Mass-produced paper bags did not become widely available in the United States, and Territorial New Mexico, until the last quarter of the 19th 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.

鈥淚 think farolitos or luminarias are just one of many examples of how our culture is constantly changing,鈥� Martinez said. 鈥淚 know people sometimes get a little bit distraught and anxious about people coming from the outside and changing us, but that鈥檚 part of history. 鈥� If you don鈥檛 change, then what you have is a dead culture. You have got to adapt and take what works for you. 

鈥淎nd I think luminarias or farolitos are an example of that, because they鈥檙e not something that dates back to 1598 or 1692. They evolved through the centuries as a Catholic expression, but also a universal expression. It鈥檚 Native American, Spanish, Mexican American 鈥� all these different peoples coming together and creating something unique.鈥�

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鈥檚 holiday season a timeless quality not found in other parts of the country.

鈥淚 love Christmas lights 鈥� but the difference between modern American Christmas lights and the farolitos or luminarias is that these connect us to the past,鈥� Martinez said. 鈥淵ou feel like you鈥檙e doing something very ancient.鈥�

The bags 鈥� rectangular and brown 鈥� blend with New Mexico鈥檚 adobe architecture, although Martinez doubts that was done intentionally.

鈥淚 think it鈥檚 just serendipity, how that ended up happening, but it fits so well,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hat earthy, organic feel is really inviting, no matter where you鈥檙e from, and no matter what your background is.鈥�

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

鈥淚t鈥檚 one of the many things that鈥檚 unifying for people in New Mexico,鈥� Martinez said. 鈥淜ids love them, adults love them and they鈥檙e very calming during Advent and la Navidad.鈥�

Logan Royce Beitmen is an arts writer for the sa国际传媒官网网页入口. He covers visual art, music, fashion, theater and more. Reach him at lbeitmen@abqjournal.com or on Instagram at .