Christmas in Taos – My Shot of the Day – December 19, 2012

Christmas in Taos has really gone nuts over the past ten years.

There is more holiday stuff happening in this little town than you can shake a stick at. It is impossible to see it all but there are quite a number of events to hit. These shots are from the John Dunn Shops Firelight Open House last Saturday evening.

Our little multicultural town goes all out for the holiday season. There are Jewish as well as Christian celebrations, Native American traditions, Hispanic and Anglo traditions and then increasingly Winter Solstice is a big deal.

Typically the Jewish Festival of Lights kicks it off at the Taos Jewish Center. Then there is the lighting of the Plaza lights and caroling, the Lighting of Ledoux Street and the Festival of Trees and the Holiday Arts & Craft Fair

For the Catholics of the area the nine days immediately before Christmas is Las Posadas and the candlelight procession at Ranchos de Taos.

At Taos Pueblo there are vespers at dusk on December 24th followed immediately by the Christmas Eve Procession when the Pueblo men shooting rifles in the air and leading the church’s statue of Mary as she is carried through the plaza and then returned to the church. All the while, huge bonfires of pitch wood are burn to warm the guests and drive away the dark.

On Christmas Day, Taos Pueblo celebrates with the performance of Matachines. On the southern end of town in the communities of Ranchos de Taos and Talpa the Los Comanches is performed to honor Emanuel, the newborn Christ child.

And thats just a sampling!

It is a really fun time of year to be in Taos.

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