PFF: Farolitos, Albuquerque, New Mexico

Postmarked Albuquerque NM, dated 30 May 2009.
Old Town
Abuquerque, New Mexico.
The golden glow of farolitos decorate the church of San Felipe De Neri.

I was especially delighted to receive this card.  Admittedly I'm delighted to receive all cards, but this one is particularly good because of the farolitos.  Not that I knew what they were called straight away, but I did recognise them.

I recognised the lights because a good friend told me about them, but I didn't remember the word "farolitos".  And of course that's because Relax Max told me about luminarias.  Fortunately he is as much a collector of odd pieces of information as I am, so now I know that:

• luminarias and farolitos are the same thing;
  
• they are small paper lanterns, with a candle inside and weighted down with sand;
• they traditionally light the way for the Christ Child;
• farolitos means little fires;
• in Albuquerque they are more likely to call them luminarias so the card was probably made in Santa Fé;
• San Felipe de Neri is in Albuquerque on the plaza;
• it was built when Albuquerque was founded in 1706;
• the city was named after the Duke of Alburquerque (with the different spelling that accounts for my struggle to write the name);
• the city is nicknamed the Duke City which results in many local businesses being called "Duke City .... ".
  

Who needs Wikipedia when you can have a Relax Max? :)

A post for Postcard Friendship Friday.