Taos, A Christmas Destination

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Taos is different.
 
The light is different here...dappled in shadows and shades across a New Mexico village that was already old when George Washington was born. The air is different here, too, filled with a palpable spiritualism. And the colors are different here, too...brighter and deeper, whether it's the ubiquitous red chili peppers hanging from porches or the forever-changing hues of Taos Mountain - "The Mountain," to locals - sitting on the thousand-year-old Taos Pueblo and sacred to the Tiwa Indians.  
 
Taos has a four-hundred-year-old plaza, a three-hundred-year-old graveyard, and a renowned Southwestern art scene; be sure to stop at Spirit Runner Gallery, owned (and manned, along with one other gallery) by Ouray Meyers, a renowned Southwestern artist, and son of a renowned painter who helped put Taos on the artistic map.
 
Just outside of town, you can raft down (or take a hot-air balloon over) the 900'-high Rio Grande Gorge, while being watched by bobcats, jackrabbits, and coyotes. You can take a "llama trek" into the wilderness of the Carson National Forest with Wild Earth Llama Treks. Or, you can drive a 120-mile loop called the "Enchanted Circle," through stunning forests, mountains, meadows, and colorful mountain towns like Red River, Eagle's Nest, and Angel Fire.   
 
Taos glows with a special aura any time of year. But that aura's especially bright at Christmastime. In fact, Taos is on the Travel & Leisure list of the "Best Places to Spend Christmas" in the U.S.
 
Yuletide here has a distinctly New Mexico flavor, commencing with the late-November lighting of the Christmas tree in the ancient Plaza, for centuries the gathering place here, surrounded by craft shops and artists' studios and beautiful luminarias, candles burning inside festively decorated small bags.
 
Taos is one of the few towns in America that celebrates Las Posadas - a Mexican Christmas tradition starting on Dec. 16 and running through Christmas Eve. Las Posadas is an actual re-enactment of Mary and Joseph's search for lodging. Each night, a group of carolers will serenade an individual house, asking for lodging. Followers trail behind, carrying candles, and searching for a home to eventually take them in on Christmas Eve.
 
The Taos Pueblo gets into the act, too, with a colorful Christmas Eve Procession that starts out amidst bonfires, and with Taos Pueblo Deer dancing or Matachines dancing on Christmas Day.
 
In mid-December, there's "Holiday Family Night" - hot cocoa, cookies, and storytelling, hosted by Twirl Toy Store and Moby Dickens Bookstore. Also around this time is "Bonfires on Bent Street," a holiday block-party with shopping, refreshments, and music. Check the Taos News, also, for information on holiday concerts and dance performances, such as "At the Harwood Museum: The Nutcracker."
 
Up at Taos Ski Valley, you can enjoy "Demo Days at Taos Ski Valley," where you can sample the newest skis, boots, and snowboards. Just before Christmas is the "Brewmaster's Festival" in town, where you can sample two-dozen uniquely-southwestern beers. About the same time, "La Noche on the Plaza" brings the town's unique holiday traditions to life, with bonfires, Mexican hot cocoa and carols. Then there's "Christmas Eve at Picuris Pueblo," for a memorable evening infused with Tiwa Indian tradition.
 
Taos rings in the New Year with a bang, as well. At the "New Year's Eve Torchlight Parade and Fireworks," you'll see an incredibly-beautiful parade of skiers holding torch-lights as they schuss down the slopes under a blanket of stars. And then come the fireworks!
 
Southwestern food is always interesting and colorful. (You'll be asked at every restaurant, "Red (chili) or green?") At holiday time, Taosenos enjoy culturally-inspired foods such as Mexican hot chocolate, traditional biscochito cookies, and green chili stew or tamales.
 
Where to stay? The Hotel la Fonda de Taos is an upscale, hacienda-style small hotel right on the Plaza, with a very long history and a very long list of famous people who've passed through. And if you're bringing the family, the Indian Hills Inn is perfect; it's comfortable and convenient, only two blocks from the Plaza and close to restaurants and attractions.
 
At Christmastime, that special aura of Taos has never seemed brighter. And it begs to be explored.