A recent episode of the podcast ‘It’s (Probably) Not Rocket Science’ (IPNRS) discusses the traditions and cultural significance of farolitos and luminarias in New Mexico. The episode is hosted by Cameron Goeldner and features Carmella Scorcia Pacheco, a postdoctoral fellow in Southwest Folklore Studies at the University of New Mexico. Pacheco, who is from northern New Mexico, explains how her personal experiences and academic research relate to these holiday customs.
Pacheco clarifies that ‘farolito’ and ‘luminaria’ have different origins. ‘Farolito’ comes from the Spanish word for lantern and refers to paper-bag lanterns. ‘Luminaria’ traditionally means a wood-burning bonfire. In northern New Mexico, these definitions are kept separate, but in places like Albuquerque, the terms are often used interchangeably due to cultural changes.
The episode examines how these traditions show the blending of Indigenous, Spanish, and Mexican influences in New Mexico. Pacheco describes how Pueblo communities used bonfires during winter gatherings. She also explains that the arrival of paper bags by railroad led to the use of farolitos. This adaptation is linked to the concept of making art from limited materials, known as raquitismo in Chicano studies…