luminaria

noun

lu·​mi·​nar·​ia ˌlü-mə-ˈner-ē-ə  -ˈnär- 

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 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

Polar Express train to luminarias:Here are 10 unique Arizona holiday traditions Pinecone Drop For what might be the state’s longest-running New Year’s Eve tradition, thousands annually flock to Flagstaff where an illuminated pinecone is lowered from the historic Weatherford Hotel. —Shawn Raymundo, The Arizona Republic, 18 Dec. 2024

In Texas rows of hauntingly beautiful paper Christmas lanterns called luminarias make an appearance. —Elizabeth Weise, USA TODAY, 13 Dec. 2024

Shops will be open, luminarias will be lit, and as twilight envelops the town, everyone gathers in Upper Park (above the steps on Main Street) for the lighting of the Christmas tree and pretty much the whole darned park. —Roger Naylor, The Arizona Republic, 15 Nov. 2024

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

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from American Spanish, from Spanish, "light placed in a window, balcony, street, etc., in recognition of a festival or holiday, light placed before the Communion Host in a church, lamp," borrowed from Late Latin lūmināria, plural (later taken as feminine singular) of lūmināre "opening to let in light, source of light, lamp" — more at luminary

First Known Use

1934, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for luminaria

• aquaria
• gregaria
• herbaria
• hysteria
• malaria
• puparia
• rancheria
• araucaria
• arenaria
• honoraria
• mercenaria
• area

Podcast

Get Word of the Day delivered to your inbox!