ABOUT THE LUMINARY TRADITION
The tradition of luminarias comes from New Mexico where the Pueblo Indians have long lit small fires outside their homes to light their way to church on Christmas Eve. Luminaria Night is a beautiful and enchanted evening when neighborhoods line their streets with white bags illuminated by votive candles. Luminarias are a symbol of unity and caring for those less fortunate.
Click Here to learn more about the history of Luminaria.
DESIGN IDEAS FOR YOUR HOME
Luminaria are best placed 1-3 feet apart for the best effects. Line them up along the curb in front of your house, around flower beds, up and down the driveway, along fence lines or your shoreline. Feeling Creative? You can make designs by laying them out in patterns or shapes like a star, a word, or a Christmas tree. You can also cut designs into of the paper bags to let the light shine through! The possibilities are endless.
Watch this video for custom luminary design ideas.
HOW TO SET UP YOUR LUMINARY KIT
In addition to the votive candles and paper bags included in your Luminary Kit, you will need sand or pebbles and a long-handled lighter to get your luminaries set up. To get started, grab your bags and fold over the top edge to about an inch to keep the bags from closing or falling over. Then fill each bag with 1/2 to 1 cup of sand or pebbles to hold it in place. Set the bags in place and then put a votive candle in each bag making sure that the candle wick is standing up straight. Depending on how many bags you have set up, this may take some time so plan accordingly. When dusk arrives and you are ready to light your luminaries, use the long-handled lighter to light each one being careful not to touch the paper bags. Matches and regular lighters are not recommended because of the risk of injury from fire. Once you are lit, your luminary should last about 6 hours or so. The next morning or once they have burnt out and any remaining wax is cool, collect and dispose of your luminaries accordingly.
Need help? Watch this set-up video tutorial.
