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andrethecat t1_j1m5rr0 wrote

They are called luminaries and typically have candles in them on Christmas Eve

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glister_and_gold OP t1_j1m73wa wrote

Thank you! I’ve never seen them before so I was confused.

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MonsterByDay t1_j1m835h wrote

I think of them as a southwestern thing. Santa Fe is covered in them for Christmas Eve.

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art_decorative t1_j1mhwvq wrote

They're pretty common in a lot of New Mexico.

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MonsterByDay t1_j1mqzbn wrote

I always loved seeing them when we went out to visit my grandma for Christmas.

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2SticksPureRage t1_j1n1tgx wrote

I’m confused. Why would someone put a candle in a paper bag?

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andrethecat t1_j1n2wfy wrote

To light the way for St Nick

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2SticksPureRage t1_j1n53wx wrote

Are they actually lit?! That’s what’s confusing me. Never seen them before but I didn’t think fire and paper went together.

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348D t1_j1n88em wrote

There’s sand in the bags. My neighborhood has done it for years with no incidents

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2SticksPureRage t1_j1ncl4t wrote

Ahh. Thanks for the explanation. I wonder why I’ve never seen this before?!

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348D t1_j1ncnu4 wrote

Haha, I’m wondering too!

Merry Christmas!

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78FANGIRL t1_j1mib68 wrote

They are filled with a little sand and a candle to be lit on Christmas Eve and are called luminaries. They're pretty common, I am surprised you've never seen them.

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glister_and_gold OP t1_j1mp069 wrote

Me too, I grew up here. I’ve seen the candles in the window and sometimes by the door, just never along the side of the road like that.

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willieandthets t1_j1mm5x9 wrote

I grew up in Pittsburgh. Every neighborhood was lined w them on Christmas eve

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JupiterWaterwheel t1_j1nehsl wrote

where in falmouth? i live there and haven’t seen anything

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glister_and_gold OP t1_j1ng97v wrote

A tiny section of Falmouth Road. Maybe a hundred or two hundred feet. I’m guessing one household put them up.

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Tumbleweed-53 t1_j1nk6fk wrote

Luminarias as already described. Paper sacks with candles, sand in the botom/or suspended by strings and launched en mas. I've heard differing reasons for them always religious symbols. Common in NM, they are stunningly beautiful at night, dozens being launched at once in the still desert air. New Mexico is called the land of enchantment for very good reason

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[deleted] t1_j1mw6rq wrote

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TimothyOilypants t1_j1my7u7 wrote

Oh no...not sand, paper and wax... The humanity...

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[deleted] t1_j1myswu wrote

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TimothyOilypants t1_j1n0gig wrote

Yes, PLEASE, let's focus our criticism on the REAL problems like luminaries before we address lesser problems like PFAS contaminated septage, 21 tons of salt per mile of road each winter, >30,000 tons of nitrogen fertilizer annually, ad infinitum...

You got a good heart kid, but try pointing it in the right direction.

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ChazmasterG t1_j1n69k5 wrote

Or ya know we could all just try our best to not be wasteful. Or an asshole...

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TimothyOilypants t1_j1nrqkx wrote

You mean like shaming people for trying to milk some little fucking joy out of a holiday after 3 years of death and disease...

Paper: biodegradable. Cotton wick: Biodegradable. Wax: biodegradable. Sand: Inert. Aluminum dish: Inert.

What are we actually worried about here?! I would rather luminaries than electric Christmas lights strung together with 5 lbs of plastic...

If you're so sure luminaries are bad, make a case for it.

If you have a problem with paper bags I assume your washroom has 3 seashells?

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MathematicianGlum880 t1_j1obmio wrote

A street in Gorham does it too. People drive down the street with their lights off…very cool.

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