Luminarias

Luminarias, originally uploaded by craptastica.

Once a year, the Jemez National Monument lights hundreds of luminarias (candle-filled paper bags with sand) and opens their doors to the public. The Monument is an acre or so of land containing what is left of the ruins of the second Catholic church built amongst the Jemez Pueblo. It was also once a Jemez pueblo site, called Gesuiwa, and has been re-built to illustrate some of the kivas and storage rooms that once existed.

The Jemez Monument is a rather striking place. Walking among the mud and rock ruins, you can't help but feel the winds of history blowing from each and every adobe brick. The hundreds of luminarias at night and the low indian and catholic chanting that played throughout the night made the experience one filled with enchantment.