Looking for Some Holiday Spirit, ABQ Style?

Try two posts on Duke City Fix today that are chock full of sensual adjectives describing the sights and sounds of the holiday season in Albuquerque. Start off with Natalie's It's Time to Get Lit, which starts off:

Ahhhhh... New Mexico in the winter. It smells better than it looks. Everything has turned grey-ish-dusty-brown and the mountains, for some reason, look further away. But every time I walk out the front door, I'm hit with the smells of someone's fireplace burning pinon, fresh tortillas cookin', roasts a-roastin', and pots of posole’ simmering. Tamale making is in full swing here in the Duke City. There is a definite bite in the air that makes me want to gobble it all in. The sights are still very beautiful but the olfactory experiences here just can‘t be beat.

Next up, check out Las Posadas de Barelas by Barelas Babe, which describes the special sense of community among diversity provided by a traditional Christmas celebration in one of the oldest neighborhoods in the city. This year, Las Posadas will be held on December 22nd in Barelas. Excerpt:

In case you are not familiar with Las Posadas, it is a Hispanic tradition that reenacts the travels of Jose y Maria prior to the birth of Jesus, with the nativity procession moving from door to door in search of shelter. Carolers sing traditional Spanish songs seeking shelter, followed by the residents of the house and their guests denying this request. The procession continues to the next house in hopes of finding shelter, and at the last location, Sacred Heart Church, the doors are thrown wide open and everyone enters (except the burro, who always refuses).

Most of the Barelas households on the Las Posadas route participate every year, decorating their home with strings of lights and luminarias, and hosting parties on the night of Las Posadas. When the procession arrives, partygoers spill out of the brightly lit homes singing their parts in this age old ritual, which dates back to the 1500s when it was brought to the New World by the Spanish. It is uncertain when Las Posadas was first done in Barelas, a neighborhood that has its roots in the seventeenth century, but we do know that it has been an official event in Barelas for 62 years, thanks to the efforts of Patrick Turrieta and many others too numerous to name.

Planning for a walk or drive to see luminarias this Christmas Eve? The Albuquerque Journal offers a listing of neighborhoods known for their displays.

Last but not least, Sunny the sun conure says, "Don't forget to put out some extra treats at your birdfeeders at this wintry time of year -- there's a snowstorm on the way!"

Click on images for larger versions. Photos by M.E. Broderick.