Christmas in Santa Fe – New Mexico
It wouldn’t be Christmas in Santa Fe without farolitos lighting up the night.
Guest blogger Judith Moir is irrevocably in love with all things Santa Fe. Her romance with the written word currently finds her writing a weekly blog for Tourism Santa Fe, and she paints the story of New Mexico in living color for a variety of additional clients. Judith never misses an opportunity to share her insider tips for enjoying the music and art, culture and cuisine, and overall magic of the City Different. She was formerly the Marketing and Communications Director at one of Santa Fe’s best-loved hotels.
Christmas in Santa Fe is one of those special experiences that leaves visitors with hearts full of warm memories. The community’s always cozy Old-World ambiance positively glows in candlelight and warm spirits during the holiday season. And Santa Fe’s authentic sense of place is never more evident than during the month of December when age-old traditions make their annual appearance.
The New Mexico landscape becomes even more beautiful when winter snows arrive.
Food is a memorable part of Christmas in Santa Fe. The city’s vibrant culinary scene means classic dishes and ingredients on festive tables all over town. The dried chilies seen hanging as ristras throughout the year find their way into posole, a dried corn (hominy) dish originating in the pre-Columbian era. Slow-cooked into a rich stew, posole was traditionally an ideal Christmas Eve dinner since it could simmer slowly while the family attended Midnight Mass. Today, it is enjoyed by the wide range of locals and visitors who come together to enjoy winter events in Santa Fe.
Tamales are also traditional holiday season fare, and it’s not unusual to see platters piled high with these delicious bundles wrapped in corn husks or leaves. At home, they are made assembly-line style with the whole family pressed into service.
Santa Claus knows he’ll find a plate of biscochitos – tender anise-flavored sugar cookies – waiting by chimneys all over the City Different. Travelers can learn to prepare these signature dishes at the Santa Fe School of Cooking, but early registration is a must since holiday classes always sell out.
It must be Christmas in Santa Fe. Chef Noe Cano demonstrates tamale-making technique at the Santa Fe School of Cooking. Photo courtesy of the Santa Fe School of Cooking.
Santa Fe – its English translation is “Holy Faith” – honors the season with unique events reflecting its religious heritage. Las Posadas, a re-enactment of the Holy Family’s search for lodging, takes place on the Santa Fe Plaza. A crowd of locals and visitors gathers to encourage the weary travelers and boo the devils before ending with hot cider in the courtyard of the 400-plus year-old Palace of the Governors.
Roger Atkins obviously enjoyed some holiday fun portraying a devil during Santa Fe’s annual Las Posadas. Photo courtesy of the New Mexico History Museum.
Bundling up on the night of December 24 is all part of a chilly Christmas in Santa Fe. Downtown Santa Fe becomes a candle-lit jewel as farolitos – brown paper bags filled with sand and votive candles – are set out to burn all night and lead the Christ Child to shelter. Many cities have adopted this tradition, but nowhere are farolitos more beautiful than lining a winding walkway or adobe wall in this ancient city.
The culture of the First Peoples is alive and well in New Mexico. Thanks to statehood’s late arrival (1912), New Mexico’s Native American Pueblos have kept their culture and traditions intact. The missionaries erected churches, but the Pueblo people honor the holidays with traditional dances, an inspirational experience that belongs on any bucket list.
The December holidays are celebrated with a variety of different dances at many of the northern Pueblos. Dances are not timed to any exact hour, but generally occur in early morning, mid-day and late afternoon. The best thing to do is just go and wait – and remember Pueblo protocol (no photography, sketching or note-taking, no talking to the dancers, and no entering a Pueblo home without an invitation).
A Pueblo dance won’t look much different today from the way it looks in the vintage postcards found in Santa Fe’s antique shops.
Music for Christmas in Santa Fe
Santa Fe is a premier arts destination with a vibrant musical landscape, so it absolutely would not be Christmas here without music. The Santa Fe Symphony Orchestra and Chorus does annual justice to Handel’s Messiah on November 23 this year, and David Geist will definitely feature some familiar holiday tunes in his weekly Cabaret performance at Pranzo Italian Grill. The glorious Carols and Lullabies presented by the Santa Fe Desert Chorale will ring the rafters of the gorgeous Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis, and Santa Fe Pro Musica’s Baroque Christmas sells out the historic Loretto Chapel (home to the miraculous staircase) every night from December 19-24.
Winter concerts take place at Santa Fe’s Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi, the life’s work of Bishop Jean-Baptiste Lamy. The Bishop was the subject of Willa Cather’s well-known book, DEATH COMES FOR THE ARCHBISHOP.
Lodging for Christmas in Santa Fe
Santa Fe has lots of good accommodations, and over the holidays, it makes sense to stay within walking distance of all the action. Historic La Fonda on the Plaza, at the terminus of the famed Old Santa Fe Trail, set the tone early on for Santa Fe hospitality and recently underwent a property-wide renovation. Those who enjoy spas can’t go wrong with Starwood’s La Posada de Santa Fe Resort & Spa, renowned for its professionally-curated art collection. And The Inn and Spa at Loretto, annually decked in Christmas in Santa Fe style, was one of Travel & Leisure Magazine’s World’s Best 500 in 2014. For local charm, look to the Inn on the Alameda, a boutique hotel with lots of extras (including ample complimentary breakfast and afternoon wine reception) and enviable status as the closest hotel to Canyon Road.
The holiday lighting at Inn and Spa at Loretto adds to the warm atmosphere of Christmas in Santa Fe. Photo Courtesy of the Inn and Spa at Loretto.
Santa Fe, New Mexico is unlike other American destinations. Its multi-cultural roots are as ancient as its adobe buildings, and its rich traditions are well worth exploring during a holiday visit.
Category: USA Southwest, Winter Holidays
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Very nice holiday post! Love the new blogger – looking forward to going to Santa Fe next month.