Christmas Customs at Pena Blanca by Mauro Montoya; Home-printed Christmas cards for a little over a decade- national contests. Collection of Christmas post cards- New Mexico was very far away, but New Mexicans still got the cards. "Holidays" was a conglomeration of Thanksgiving and onwards through New Year's. 12th of December is the day of Lady of Guadalupe- for weeks people prepared for this fiesta by going for Christmas trees: you used the trees of the day of Lady of Guadalupe, as well as Christmas. Dec. 11 was a precession for 300 yards and then came back around to the church. Pitch- pine wood that burns fast, and would make luminarias out of it and place every few yards along precession march. It was very invigorating for participants- everyone wants to take part in full. Older men would tie the feet of younger men up and they would have to untie themselves- first one would run to their favorite tree, and that's how they would get their family tree. Las Posadas, an occasion where people would reenact the journey of Biblical Mary and Joseph trying to find lodging; nine day affair. Certain families would have an open house- each family would open their home each day, so 9 different families. Participants would come to each house and ask for lodging but would be refused each day until the last day. Albuquerque Historical Society; MP3 Converted, December 8, 1966

Christmas Customs at Pena Blanca by Mauro Montoya; Home-printed Christmas cards for a little over a decade- national contests. Collection of Christmas post cards- New Mexico was very far away, but New Mexicans still got the cards. "Holidays" was a conglomeration of Thanksgiving and onwards through New Year's. 12th of December is the day of Lady of Guadalupe- for weeks people prepared for this fiesta by going for Christmas trees: you used the trees of the day of Lady of Guadalupe, as well as Christmas. Dec. 11 was a precession for 300 yards and then came back around to the church. Pitch- pine wood that burns fast, and would make luminarias out of it and place every few yards along precession march. It was very invigorating for participants- everyone wants to take part in full. Older men would tie the feet of younger men up and they would have to untie themselves- first one would run to their favorite tree, and that's how they would get their family tree. Las Posadas, an occasion where people would reenact the journey of Biblical Mary and Joseph trying to find lodging; nine day affair. Certain families would have an open house- each family would open their home each day, so 9 different families. Participants would come to each house and ask for lodging but would be refused each day until the last day. Albuquerque Historical Society; MP3 Converted, December 8, 1966, Box: 1. Albuquerque Bernalillo County Special Collections Library.

Christmas Customs at Pena Blanca by Mauro Montoya; Home-printed Christmas cards for a little over a decade- national contests. Collection of Christmas post cards- New Mexico was very far away, but New Mexicans still got the cards. "Holidays" was a conglomeration of Thanksgiving and onwards through New Year's. 12th of December is the day of Lady of Guadalupe- for weeks people prepared for this fiesta by going for Christmas trees: you used the trees of the day of Lady of Guadalupe, as well as Christmas. Dec. 11 was a precession for 300 yards and then came back around to the church. Pitch- pine wood that burns fast, and would make luminarias out of it and place every few yards along precession march. It was very invigorating for participants- everyone wants to take part in full. Older men would tie the feet of younger men up and they would have to untie themselves- first one would run to their favorite tree, and that's how they would get their family tree. Las Posadas, an occasion where people would reenact the journey of Biblical Mary and Joseph trying to find lodging; nine day affair. Certain families would have an open house- each family would open their home each day, so 9 different families. Participants would come to each house and ask for lodging but would be refused each day until the last day. Albuquerque Historical Society; MP3 Converted, December 8, 1966, Box: 1. Albuquerque Bernalillo County Special Collections Library. https://nmarchives.unm.edu/repositories/9/archival_objects/536086 Accessed December 22, 2024.