New Mexico Luminaria Company - Little Luminarias

Home Products About us Luminaria history Gallery Contact us Wholesale opportunities Privacy/return policy	Luminaria history: The Southwest tradition of lighting luminarias during the holidays has been around for hundreds of years. In fact, the origin of the luminaria dates back to the 16th century. During this period small bonfires called luminarias were burned alongside the roads and churchyards to commemorate Christ's birth and to guide people to Midnight Mass. By the early nineteenth century, U.S. settlers brought beautiful Chinese lanterns from overseas to hang from their doorways instead of building bonfires. The problem was the Chinese lanterns were too expensive so people began to make small paper lanterns out of paper sacks, sand, and candles as an alternative. It should be noted that here in New Mexico, luminarias are also known as Farolitos, which in Spanish means "little lanterns."

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