Taos Real Estate

1) Reminder: Town offices are closed Wed. and Thurs., Dec. 24 and 25. (Note: Town holiday closures always include closure of the Town’s Recycling Ctr., and the Taos Reg. Landfill for public drop off of items, although Waste Management always continues its reg. schedule of curbside pick up). In this instance, the Town of Taos Public Library is also closed both days. Stock up early on your holiday reading.

2) Town of Taos/Taos Ski Valley Chile Line Shuttle Service begins today – with evening shuttles both directions up until 8 p.m. on Friday and Saturday nights – see schedule/routes on www.taosgov.com, and a list of extended business hours for some retailers at http://taoschamber.com/documents/ExtendedHolidayShopping.pdf

3) This office will be offline for news briefs December 24, 2008, through January 2, 2009 – with Town holiday closures, in addition to our promotion of Taos in Los Angeles – and internationally – through the Tournament of Roses and surrounding media opportunities. Please contact Abigail Adame, Assistant Town Manager, aadame@taosgov.com, should you have issues that require immediate attention.

4) Planning & Zoning Commission Agenda attached for Jan. 7, 2009.

5) January 2009 Town of Taos Dates (as of 12.19.08)

*

Thurs., Jan. 1, Town Offices Closed, New Year’s Day (Note: Town holiday closures always include closure of the Town’s Recycling Ctr., and the Taos Reg. Landfill for public drop off of items, although Waste Management always continues its reg. schedule of curbside pick up)
* Fri., Jan. 2, 5:30 p.m., Special Meeting, swearing in of newly appointed Mayor, Council Chambers, Civic Plaza Dr.
* Mon., Jan. 5, 10 a.m., Special Meeting, possible appt. of new Council Member, Council Chambers
* Tues., Jan. 6, 1:30 p.m., Special Council Meeting, Quarterly Dept. Briefings, Council Chambers
* Wed., Jan. 8, 1:30 p.m., Lodger’s Tax Advisory Board Meeting, Coronado Hall Exec. Conf. Rm., Civic Plaza Dr.
* Thurs., Jan 15, deadline for initial events/promotions as part of the Taos 2009: Summer of Love. After December 25th, go to www.TaosSummerofLove.com for more information, or contact Joanie Griffin, jgriffin@griffinassoc.com.
* Mon., Jan. 19, Town Offices Closed, Martin Luther King Day
* Tues., Jan. 20, 9:30 a.m., Regular Council Meeting, Council Chambers
* Tues., Jan. 27, 5:30 p.m., State of the Town Address, Rio Grande Hall (reception to follow – public invited)

6) Taos Clip – Southwest U.S.
By KATHY PINTO, Special to the Ft. Worth Star-Telegram

Visitors gather around bonfires during the holidays in the pueblos of northern New Mexico. Geraint Smith

Geraint Smith

Visitors gather around bonfires during the holidays in the pueblos of northern New Mexico. Geraint Smith

A blanket of snow adds to the beauty of the Taos Pueblo. New Mexico Tourism Department Farolitos, a Southwestern tradition, add to the festive pueblo atmosphere. New Mexico Tourism Department Deer dancer James Naranjo performs at the Santa Clara Pueblo. New Mexico Tourism Department Farolitos, or luminarias, are used for illumination and decoration during the holidays. New Mexico Tourism Department

In the northern villages of New Mexico, ritual re-enactments of history by the Hispanic community — combined with medieval morality plays known as autos sacramentales brought to the area during the Spanish conquest — are faithfully re-created in distinctive Christmas celebrations.

It makes for a different kind of travel experience for North Texans who want a last-minute holiday getaway this month or who are planning a trip to New Mexico at the start of the new year.

At the Indian pueblos, Catholicism is intertwined with ancient American Indian beliefs. When the Spanish arrived in New Mexico in the 16th century, missionaries assigned a patron saint to each pueblo in an effort to convert tribal members to Catholicism. Because tribal rituals coincided with the saints’ days, these religions eventually merged.

A Taos Pueblo spokesman says that a large percentage of tribal members are baptized Catholic and that the church service is much like Catholic services elsewhere. The only difference, he says, is that the motifs in the chapel have native elements and tribal members wear blankets and moccasins.

On Christmas Eve, the northern pueblos celebrate this most important Christian holy day in a distinctive Indian way. Most moving are the vespers with bonfires and the procession of the Virgin Mary at the 1,000-year-old Taos Pueblo—a UNESCO World Heritage site.

The drama of the event unfolds at the foot of the Sangre de Cristo mountains, amid the orange and purple hues of a winter sunset. At sundown at the pueblo’s San Geronimo chapel, the archbishop of Santa Fe presides over vespers. As the sky darkens to a deep blue, torches are lit, and families build huge bonfires of ocote pine in the main plaza.

Orange flames illuminate the night sky, shooting up spires of smoke. Other smaller bonfires are scattered throughout the plaza and in front of homes. Residents gather on rooftops covered in snow.

At the end of vespers, the chapel bells peal. The archbishop and acolytes lead a procession out of the tiny chapel, followed by six men carrying a dais that holds the statue of the Virgin Mary under a billowing canopy. At the front of the procession, pueblo men carrying rifles shoot live ammunition into the air to announce her arrival. Drummers and members of the church choir follow, and the throngs of people there for the bonfires join in the procession. The beauty, mystery and power of the scene are profound.

Post-holiday rituals

Winter in northern New Mexico brings a quiet beauty to the pueblos, but special feast days celebrated with animal dances go on throughout January and February — when Indians get into harmony with the animal world by imitating animals of the Plains in dress and movement.

At the core of many tribal religious and spiritual philosophies and practices, animals have always occupied a place of great reverence and importance within the cultures. They were necessary for survival and were included in elaborate ceremonial events.

At pueblos around New Mexico, New Year’s Day often means the election of new tribal officers, an outward symbol of tribal sovereignty that predates the existence of the United States.

In the 17th century, Spain recognized New Mexico’s Indian pueblos as sovereign governments. To make it official, the king of Spain presented a silver cane signifying authority to each of the governors of the pueblo tribes.

When the U.S. government patented the Spanish land grants, even though some pueblos had no supporting documents of ownership, evidence of their continuous occupation expedited the process. On Nov. 1, 1864, President Abraham Lincoln, by decree, presented a silver cane to each of the Indian governors on behalf of the United States, acknowledging their sovereignty. Today these canes of authority, known as the Lincoln Canes, are still passed on to new tribal leaders.

On Jan. 6 — commonly known as Three Kings Day — the pueblos honor new tribal officials with a celebration of buffalo, deer and antelope dances. The new leaders, displaying their canes of authority, preside over the festivities.

Like few events in our media-driven world, pueblo dances must be seen live. No cameras, video equipment, tape recorders or sketch books are allowed.

But you won’t need photographs to remember being there.

For more info about lodging and restaurants, visit taosvacationguide.com

For more info about skiing and snowboarding, visit skitaos.org

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