Santa Fe will always be the City Different and during Christmas everyone partakes in our unique traditions. Thousands of farolitos, small paper bag lanterns, dot the landscape. Throughout neighborhood streets, homes, and public buildings these lanterns magically appear in December around the city.
Survived the Test of Time
Community groups gather each year to perform Las Pastores. It is the tale of the shepherds on their journey to pay homage to the Christ Child. The holiday drama was introduced to the New World in the late 16th century by Spanish missionaries. It has been passed down primarily through oral tradition among families in Mexico and the American Southwest.
Holiday Drama
Los Tres Reyes, The Three Kings, and Los Abuelos have also survived the test of time. They continue to be celebrated at public venues on the Santa Fe plaza and northern New Mexico towns and Indian pueblos. Throughout the years Santa Fe continues to boast the elements of an era long gone in other parts of the nation.