Southwest Sojourn

Christmas Magic in New Mexico – Pueblo Dances

Marilyn Keane — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 19:16:58 +0000

Each year many of the Pueblos observe the holiday season with sacred dance. These traditional religious observances are awesome. If you have a chance, take a drive to one or more of the Pueblos and witness ceremonies that have a long and sacred history. Since the dates (and dances) can vary from year to year, check with the Pueblos for exact time and day.

On December 12th, Pojoaque Pueblo celebrates the Feast of Guadalupe with traditional dances and a community feast.
On Christmas Day and the days following Christmas, Jemez Pueblo holds its Buffalo, Eagle and game dances.
Taos Pueblo observes the Deer or Los Matachines Dance during the holiday season.
On Christmas Eve, a sundown torchlight procession of the Virgin is scheduled at the Picuris, Nambe, San Juan, and Taos Pueblos.
On Christmas Day, Los Matachines and other dances are scheduled at Picuris, San Juan, Santa Clara, Taos, and San Ildefonso Pueblos.
On the day after Christmas, the San Juan Pueblo holds its traditional Turtle Dance.
Shortly after Christmas, the Santa Clara and Picuris Pueblos hold their Holy Innocents and children’s dances.
On New Year’s Day, the Transfer of the Canes ceremony celebrates the tribes’ new leaders.
On New Years Day, Taos Pueblo holds its annual Turtle Dance.

Christmas Magic in Santa Fe – Las Posadas

Marilyn Keane — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 00:14:24 +0000

For those who value reverence at Christmas, Las Posadas (a traditional Spanish play that’s performed in the Plaza area each year) is a treasure. The play reenacts the search by Mary and Joseph for a room on Christmas Eve. The procession, which begins and ends at the Palace of the Governors, winds around the Plaza and is open to anyone wishing to join in. Participants carry lit candles and follow Mary and Joseph as they seek shelter. When the procession ends, participants sip cider and sing Christmas carols with the community. This year, around 1500 people participated in the Santa Fe event which was held on December 13th.

If you missed the Santa Fe event, there are other opportunities! In several Hispanic communities in Northern New Mexico, Las Posadas are re-enacted during the nine days before Christmas. In towns throughout the area, participants re-enact the search for a room by going house to house within their community. The processions typically begin at the town center and the participants walk from house to house, holding lit candles, singing traditional Spanish hymns.

Christmas Eve and Christmas Day Services

If you’re in Santa Fe on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, consider attending a service at one of the local churches. Each has its own special observance and all welcome visitors. The Cathedral of St. Francis, built between 1869 and 1886, celebrates a Midnight Mass in Spanish and English on Christmas Eve. And, if you’re open to a unique religious experience, attend the Mariachi Mass on Christmas morning. It’s a wonderfully festive, reverent tradition, which reminds us that spirituality can – in fact, should – foster joy, love, and fellowship.

Let’s Make It Personal

This year, when so many are struggling, let’s open our minds, hearts, and doors to those who need help right here, right now, in our own community. What could be a more personal and genuine interpretation of the Christmas story?

Christmas Magic in Santa Fe

Marilyn Keane — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 19:48:55 +0000

While most cities settle for a lit Christmas tree and ornaments strung on street lamps and storefronts, Santa Fe provides magic. And, with its long tradition of celebrating Christmas as a multicultural event—not the typical ‘shop-’til-you-drop’ nightmare but a period of joy, reflection and reverence—you get to experience the beauty and history of time and place.

So let’s enjoy the magic and let the city’s focus on community, friendship, beauty, joy, and light remind us why tradition matters.

Light, Song, and Silence

In December, the Santa Fe Plaza – the heart of the city – is aglow with light. If snow has fallen, the stillness and light are enchanting in the evening. It’s delightful to walk in silence, listening to the wind and reflecting on the legendary artists and locals who walked these same paths.

It’s a pleasure to return on Christmas Eve and stroll among the farolitos that line the walkways. (The traditional, small, sand-filled bags lit from within by votive candles are often replaced by electrical versions today—a safer way to cope with strong winds and snow storms, I suppose.) Cider is served and carols are sung as people gather in small groups or meander around the Plaza enjoying the community’s holiday spirit.

Throughout the season, the farolito lights extend outward from the plaza to municipal buildings, museums, and commercial sites, all with their paths and walls softly lit.

On Christmas Eve, certain streets are lined with farolitos (and street lights are turned off) to set the mood for the traditional Farolito Walk, one of the city’s most popular holiday events. Canyon Road, with its shops, is one possible destination. But, if you want to mingle with the locals, head out to one of the city’s historic side streets – Acequia Madre, for example – and join with others who are singing carols as they walk the farolito-lit streets, then gather around the luminarias – small bonfires that represent the light that guided the Three Wise Men – to drink hot chocolate and enjoy the company of fellow revelers.

Just You and the Stars

If you’re comfortable with solitude, take a ride north of the city. You don’t need to go far. When you’ve reached a higher elevation and the lights of the city are way below you, pull over. Step outside the car and look up at the dazzling night sky with its uncountable stars. Take a moment to listen to the silence, make a special wish, smile, and feel the true joy of the season.

What could be more soul-satisfying than standing peacefully under a gigantic canopy of stars on a cold December night in northern New Mexico?

Santa Fe Public Library – An Absolute Gem

Marilyn Keane — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 22:40:33 +0000

If you love books and want to explore a wide range of topics about the Southwest, visit the main branch of the Santa Fe Public Library. It’s a gem.

Located at 145 Washington Avenue in downtown Santa Fe, it’s an easy walk from the Plaza. Go directly to the Southwest Room where you’ll discover an extensive collection of books and journals. The library is WiFi capable and provides outlets to the side of the reading tables if you need to power/recharge your laptop while you work. Trust me, you won’t want to leave!

To further your reading or research about the Southwest, visit the New Mexico State Library. They have just about anything you might want or need. And there are many other library resources in Santa Fe for learning about the Southwest.

TIP: Subscribe to the Santa Fe Library’s blog. Icarus will keep you posted on what’s happening at the library branches as well as in town.

Georgia O’Keeffe’s World

Marilyn Keane — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 00:15:22 +0000

I’ve read lots of books about Georgia O’Keeffe. I’ve read her letters. I’ve received her art books as gifts. All wonderful. But when I visited the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum in Santa Fe, I realized that I know very little about her work. What I mean is this. When you see the work firsthand, there’s a whole new awareness. When you stand before a painting and see the brush strokes, the work comes alive. It becomes a personal experience. You can imagine how the artist translated the inner vision to the canvas.

When I’m in Santa Fe, I visit the Museum every Friday night and never tire of it. I love her work and am glad that I can see it often. Sometimes I sit before her Pedernal painting and, turning around on the bench, gaze at her Winter Cottonwood painting from the area near Abiquiu. I sit there for a long time, just taking them in.

I love what she did, how she lived, what she saw and painted. Thank you, Georgia.

Letters from Georgia O’Keeffe

Reading the O’Keeffe/Chabot letters opens a window into O’Keeffe’s life in New Mexico and New York.

She always had someone who took care of the nuts and bolts of daily living so she could devote herself totally to her work. She defined how things needed to be, and then either found or hired someone to take care of those things for her. She seems to have had a very high tolerance for people’s idiosyncrasies – either that or she just didn’t care. She defined her goals and plans and didn’t let others stop her from completing them.

Beyond the Grand Canyon

Marilyn Keane — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 00:20:48 +0000

Everyone who visits Arizona wants to see the Grand Canyon. And why not? It’s an awesome site that provides a unique snapshot of geological time and an understanding of how nature shapes and reshapes our world.

But, if you want to focus on human life within a time/place perspective, take a drive to the ancient Anasazi sites. You’ll see how people adapted to this frequently harsh environment. More importantly, you’ll get a visceral feel for the early inhabitants of this region–the ancestors of the Pueblo people. Visiting the sandstone cave dwellings, especially at Canyon de Chelly, is a fantastic experience.

White House Ruins at Canyon de Chelly

Bandelier National Monument

Marilyn Keane — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 21:55:59 +0000

Bandelier is one of the less well-known national parks, located in Northern New Mexico. If you have the time, take the drive northwest from Santa Fe and visit this gorgeous site.

Best known for mesas, canyons, and thousands of early Pueblo dwellings, the park is a pleasure to visit, especially in October when the aspens are stunning. Be sure to visit the ancient dwellings on the one-mile interpretive trail that lets you wander among the rooms, caves, and kivas.

Long House at Bandelier

If you have more time and energy, take one of the many possible hikes along the extensive trail system that meanders through the 32,000 acre park. The Park Rangers will help you with maps and information about which trails are open and which are not.

Land of Enchantment

Marilyn Keane — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 00:41:48 +0000

Marketeers have been calling New Mexico the Land of Enchantment officially since 1999. It sounds a little silly but is actually pretty accurate when describing the Northern part of the state.

When you drive the major highways, you’ll be surrounded by panoramic vistas. Who wouldn’t be enchanted by this view?