luminaria

noun

lu·​mi·​nar·​ia ˌlü-mə-ˈner-ē-ə How to pronounce luminaria (audio)
plural luminaria or luminarias
: a lantern that typically consists of a candle set in sand inside a paper bag and that is traditionally used in Christmas celebrations in the southwestern U.S.
A luminaria, or little lantern, is a light from a votive candle inside a small paper bag weighted down with sand. It's … believed by some to light the way for the Christ child to Earth.Aurelio Sanchez
The 2,000 luminarias, set and lit by hand, line the road up the mesa to Acoma Pueblo’s 370-foot-high Sky City. … It’s a cherished Christmas Eve tradition in New Mexico, one that kicks off four days of celebrations at the pueblo.Kate Nelson
Anyone who has tried to nurse a fragile flame through a howling night will recognize the electric luminaria's practicality.Annie Calovich
broadly : a similar lantern lit for other occasions (such as memorials)
Luminaria can be purchased throughout the event in honor of those who are fighting cancer, those who are in remission from cancer, or someone who has passed away from the disease. Julia Kazar

Did you know?

The tradition of lighting small lanterns on the night (or nights) before Christmas is an old one in what is now New Mexico, dating back to when the region belonged to colonial Spain and later to independent Mexico. Where one lives in New Mexico today, however, often determines what these paper lanterns are called. New Mexicans in the northern part of the state, around Santa Fe, call them farolitos, Spanish for “little lanterns.” Those further south, around Albuquerque, are more likely to call them luminaria (or luminarias), a word that began appearing in English publications around the 1930s, and that is today used more broadly to refer to such lanterns lit for other occasions, such as memorials, weddings, etc. Luminaria comes to English from Spanish, but the word has been around with exactly the same spelling since the days of Late Latin. It ultimately traces to the classical Latin word luminare, meaning “window,” and to lumen, meaning “light.” It is related to other light-bearing words such as luminary and illuminate.

Examples of luminaria in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Make sure to check out the luminarias, glowing Christmas lanterns that make up a favorite local tradition. Anna Borges, Condé Nast Traveler, 9 Nov. 2023 The luminaria will start to be lit around 3:30 p.m., with the town glowing by sunset. Brenda Yenke, cleveland, 10 Nov. 2022 And for many years, the Medina Breakfast Kiwanis has offered a great kit that gives buyers supplies to make 12 luminaria. Sam Boyer, cleveland, 11 Nov. 2022 Each luminaria costs between $5,500-$6,000 and made possible with a $50,000 grant from Hudson-Webber. Susan Selasky, Detroit Free Press, 1 Feb. 2021 Place your home luminaria in your driveway and then drive by Porter’s Hill to see H-O-P-E light up the town. courant.com, 11 Dec. 2020 Each $10 kit contains supplies to make 12 luminaria, including white bags, 10 pounds of sand and 15-hour candles from A.I. Root. Sam Boyer, cleveland, 6 Nov. 2020 A million lights drape saguaros, ocotillos and paloverde trees as luminarias guide visitors along shimmering pathways through the park’s 49 acres. Roger Naylor, azcentral, 22 Nov. 2019 The event includes vendors in the medical, health and wellness fields and a luminaria ceremony. Houston Chronicle, 27 Jan. 2020

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'luminaria.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Spanish, decorative light, from Late Latin

First Known Use

1934, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of luminaria was in 1934

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Cite this Entry

“Luminaria.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/luminaria. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

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