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Scout groups are out and about this week distributing luminaries over the next few weekends. We just got ours this weekend and my scout troop is delivering them next weekend in our assigned neighborhood. I've never been anywhere else in the country over Christmas, is it a common practice in other places to put luminaries out on Christmas Eve? Are people who move here from out of state familiar with the tradition?
I live in a Non-HOA part of "older" Cary and they're very popular here. It's so beautiful and peaceful to see them lit all over the neighborhood on Christmas Eve.
Location: Chapel Hill, NC, formerly NoVA and Phila
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As far as I know luminaries are popular in lots of places. I know I've seen them in neighborhoods in Philadelphia and DC, but not necessarily on Christmas Eve. Here in Southern Village, we do them on Saturday in mid-December, and it benefits the Ronald McDonald house. Last year, it rained on the day we were supposed to do it, so it got postponed to the Saturday of Christmas break, and we had already left, so we missed it. It does look very pretty with the whole neighborhood lit up.
Never saw them on Long Island. We do them on the night of our neighborhood's winter party. People are encouraged to put them out on Christmas Eve as well but most don't seem to get around to it. Maybe this will be the year!
We did them in my North Raleigh neighborhood when I was growing up in the 1970s, on Christmas Eve. One year it rained on Christmas Eve, so we did them on New Year's Eve.
I think they may originate in the Southwest? I've heard some call them "luminarias". Anyone on here from that part of the country? I had never heard of them until the mid 1970s.
Location: Chapel Hill, NC, formerly NoVA and Phila
9,762 posts, read 15,691,264 times
Reputation: 10850
Quote:
Originally Posted by Francois
We did them in my North Raleigh neighborhood when I was growing up in the 1970s, on Christmas Eve. One year it rained on Christmas Eve, so we did them on New Year's Eve.
I think they may originate in the Southwest? I've heard some call them "luminarias". Anyone on here from that part of the country? I had never heard of them until the mid 1970s.
Good question, and it looks like you were right! It appears to have originated with the Spaniards and is very popular in the Southwestern part of the US.
Scout groups are out and about this week distributing luminaries over the next few weekends. We just got ours this weekend and my scout troop is delivering them next weekend in our assigned neighborhood. I've never been anywhere else in the country over Christmas, is it a common practice in other places to put luminaries out on Christmas Eve? Are people who move here from out of state familiar with the tradition?
I live in a Non-HOA part of "older" Cary and they're very popular here. It's so beautiful and peaceful to see them lit all over the neighborhood on Christmas Eve.
In my old neighborhood I was always approached to buy them from someone and light them on Xmas eve. Once I moved to the county, I was never approached about luminaries or trick-or-treaters. Once I started working out of state I never saw the luminaries again, trick or treaters were only occasional.
Good question, and it looks like you were right! It appears to have originated with the Spaniards and is very popular in the Southwestern part of the US.
I never see them in Southern California , they would definitely be a fire hazard. That would hold true anywhere that's desert..
This year, for sure.
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