Over the Garden Fence: Luminaria welcome family on Christmas Eve

So now that Christmas Eve has come and gone, my reflections of trying to reignite the tradition of lighted luminaria once again prompted action. As we were finishing an early dinner with family, this task took me away from the table.

That morning in the bottom of each white bag — there were 10 white sack luminaries — I had set a candle tin. Now, as dusk moved in, long stick matches easily ignited wicks. It was quick and easy to set these at intervals on the driveway.

This tradition of placing "paper lanterns" is 426 years old in New Mexico as people headed out to mass. But let me back up to the original Spanish word for luminaria − "small bonfires." These were actual small bonfires built along the road to the church. This began in Spain as part of Las Posadas, a procession ending a nine-day celebration which closed on the ninth night with a midnight mass. Las Posadas is a word symbolic for a lodging place or an inn.

Of course this is honoring the effort of Mary and Joseph seeking a site for the forthcoming birth of their child. Processionals began with a leader holding a lighted candle and often musicians, sometimes an expectant mother riding a donkey, and children carrying poinsettias.

But returning to the lighting idea, Spanish use the word "farolitos" for little lights. No big bonfires with this concept but small brown sacks. Facts share that Yankee traders brought these bags to the Santa Fe Trails in the 1800s. There is an interesting glow to brown bags. Sand was used in the bottoms and a tea light set in place. This was widely accepted all over the southwest of the United States and certainly in Mexico.

In recent times the sacks can be found in white substantial paper versions. A varied choice of designs includes trees, stars, snowflakes and other holiday motifs. The ones I found were in a hardware store several years ago in the pre-Christmas season. They hold the word "love." There were 20 of them in a bundle.

There have been struggles along the many years. My family mostly dismissed my sentiments. Blowing wind and snow caused a fold-over of the bags and they burned. Once without available sand, kitty litter stabilized the sacks. Tea candles, short candles and fat candles in glass jars have all been used. But the small tins this year have worked the best on their own.

Luminaria are basically any lights used on roof tops, walls, sidewalks and driveways. People holding holiday parties and waiting for the arrival of families often use a lighted welcome with luminaries. Watch for their use at gatherings at other times of the year and special festivities as people develop new traditions and create memories which may be unrelated to Christmas.

Mary Lee Minor is a member of the Earth, Wind and Flowers Garden Club, an accredited master gardener, a flower show judge for the Ohio Association of Garden Clubs and a former sixth grade teacher.

This article originally appeared on Bucyrus Telegraph-Forum: Luminaria light the way for family on Christmas Eve