San Jose de los Jemez Mission: An impressive display of farolitos filled the interior walls of the San Jose de los Jemez Mission. Shown is the display on a clear and chilly evening on Dec. 14. The Gisewa Pueblo was established around the year 1350 and the mission was constructed a few years later. The full moon lit the wall to the left and others throughout the grounds. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
Visitors & Farolitos: Hundreds of visitors were present for the lighting the night we attended on Dec. 14. This photo shows several visitors as they move about in the dark with the outer walls of the mission lit by the full moon. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
By GARY WARREN
Photographer
Los Alamos Daily Post
When asked if we were interested in attending the Lights of Gisewa on Saturday, Dec. 14 while in Los Alamos, we didn’t think twice before assuring our friends that we would love to attend.
The Gisewa people are ancestors of the people of Jemez Pueblo. Gisewa Pueblo and the San Jose de los Jemez Mission are on the north side of the village of Jemez Springs and a few miles north of the present day Jemez Pueblo. The site is also known as Jemez Historic Site.
The site is a few acres in size and the most prominent structure is the stone wall remnants of San Jose de los Jemez Mission. The ruins of Gisewa Pueblo are located next to the mission. The pueblo was established around the year 1350, well over 700 years ago.
It is a tradition to celebrate the season with the Lights of Gisewa every December. The event takes place on two evenings with this year’s event scheduled for Dec. 13-14. We attended the lighting Saturday evening, Dec.14.
The event draws large crowds of visitors who come to Jemez Springs to celebrate the Lights of Gisewa. More than 1,000, maybe up to 2,000 farolitos (or luminaries if you prefer but the event uses farolitos), which are lined on the stone walls of the mission, on walls of the pueblo ruins and every pathway on the site is lined with the colorful lights on each side of the pathway. There is also an impressive display of farolitos within the walls of the mission.
Other activities at the Lights of Gisewa are dances by Native Americans, traditional food for sale as well as drinks, and an arts and crafts show and live music. There is a charge for admission but the experience is well worth the price of attending.
Dec. 14 was mostly clear skies with a few passing clouds. The night air was chilly but not bad if you were dressed properly for the temperatures. The full cold moon was also shining bright which also helped illuminate the grounds along with the farolitos.
To be in Los Alamos during this event was pure luck. We drove from Castle Rock, Colo. for a memorial service on Friday and returned to Colorado Sunday morning. However, we enjoyed this event so much we may have to try and make it an annual tradition.
With Christmas being just a few days away, I would like to wish each of you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Editor’s note: Longtime Los Alamos photographer Gary Warren and his wife Marilyn are traveling around the country, and he shares his photographs, which appear in the “Posts from the Road” series published in the Sunday edition of the Los Alamos Daily Post.
Lighting the Pathway: Not only were the mission and pueblo stone walls lined with farolitos but every path on the site was lined with the beautiful lights on each side of the pathway. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
Window of Light: Light from the two farolitos sitting in this window reflected on the timbers above creating a frame for visitors who could look out at the large number of farolitos that were lit for this event. Some of the farolitos sit on walls of the mission while others in the distance are on the pueblo walls. The full moon lit clouds in the distance. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
Gisewa Pueblo: Shown are farolitos as they line the stone remnants of the Gisewa Pueblo. Visitors were able to walk through the grounds and enjoy the farolitos both close up and as a sea of glowing lights as they looked across the grounds. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
Kiva Ladder: A kiva ladder is seen as it rises through the opening of a kiva at the Jemez Historic Site, which is where the San Jose de los Jemez Mission and the Gisewa Pueblo ruins are located. Shown in the distance in the photo are a few passing clouds lit by the full moon. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
