By LIL ORTEGA
Los Alamos

This time of year I fondly recall the Christmas Season and all the traditions that were so ingrained in me while growing up in a small town in Central New Mexico.

I always woke up on Christmas Eve morning to the smell of posole wafting into my upstairs bedroom. My mother, Conception would be up at the crack of dawn beginning to prepare all the foods that we would eat on Christmas Eve.

I would arise and the kitchen windows would be all fogged up from the steam coming out of the posole pot. Mama would let me have a taste or two of the corn, which was still a bit undercooked but was already very tasty.

Later in the morning my aunts and grandmother would gather in our kitchen to make biscochitos, empanaditas (both sweet and savory), chiles rellenos, carne adovada, tamales, beans, fried potatoes and red chile. I recall the chatter, laughter, and singing with the Christmas music on the radio.

While the women were in the kitchen, many of the cousins would help my dad, sister and brother fold bags for luminarias. After bags were folded and sand placed in them it was my job to place a candle inside each bag as we lined them along the front of the house and on the path that led to the front door to welcome baby Jesus and all the travelers into our hearts and homes.

We always attended Midnight Mass and coming home after Mass to see our street and home lit with the soft glow of the candlelight from the luminarias was a beautiful sight and one I still cherish.

I don’t recall a single gift I received, other than the gifts of family and traditions, which warm my heart and spirit like the glow from the candlelight of the luminarias.

I have continued most of these traditions throughout my lifetime and hopefully have instilled them in my children and grandchildren.

And by the way … leftover posole always tastes best!