Story by Antonio Lucero
With the changing of the seasons, comes the changing of the colors, and luminarias helped light the sidewalks of the New Mexico State University with their orange glow Dec. 6.
“What we’re doing is a fund raiser for the LCHS band, and it’s the LCHS band parents that are putting this on,” said Steve Ziehl, a volunteer parent that helped set up the luminarias for Noche de Luminarias. Noche de Luminarias is an annual event that is held on the NMSU campus.
A community effort
While most students were running up and down the I-Mall on the NMSU campus worrying about finals week, some 80 volunteers were lining the campus sidewalks to offer a more peaceful atmosphere to the cold campus.
Each year, luminarias line sidewalks and buildings on the NMSU campus. (Photo by Antonio Lucero)
A large truck with its bed filled with sand and two water coolers were the starting point for the evening. Luminaria admirers were provided with free hot chocolate to drink as they walked up and down the orange lit paths.
“The turnout is always good here and the luminarias are always beautiful,” Ziehl said. “If someone hasn’t seen them, they really need to come see these because they really are amazing. ”
The luminarias lined the sidewalks from Corbett Center to the Educational Services Center. The sidewalks were lined with more than 5,000 luminarias. Both students and parents from LCHS volunteered to set up the event.
“They’re really nice,” said NMSU student Chantal Orio. “It’s not every day we get to see something this nice.”
In addition to the luminarias and hot chocolate, a trolley pulled by two horses was offered to event goers free of charge. The trolley gave luminaria admirers a chance to see the whole set up without having to walk.
Luminarias are a tradition that dates back to the 16th century. They can also be referred to as farolitos, meaning little lanterns. Luminarias are typically made of brown paper bags, sand and a small candle.
