10,000 Christmas lights illuminate the lobby of the historic Taos Inn. Photo by Stacey Wittig
By Stacey Wittig / Vagabonding Chica – Travel Writer
Stacey "Vagabonding Chica" Wittig
Speculation abounds among northern New Mexicans this time of year. Will the Deer Dance be performed at Taos Pueblo for the Christmas Day ceremonial dance? Or will it be Los Matachines Dance? It’s a tradition passed down over time: The Taos Pueblo elders choose the dance only a few short weeks before the Christmas celebration.
The hundreds of visitors who come to watch the spectacle don’t much care because both dances are worth the trip to the rustic mountain town. Visitors from Germany, France and other parts of the world already have their airline tickets purchased before tribal authorities make their choice.
A council of elders at Taos Pueblo — the oldest continuously inhabited community in North America — choose between Los Matachines Dance, a ceremonial dance handed down from the Spanish who settled this country in the 1600s, or the Deer Dance of traditional native religions.
“The Matachines Dance filtered down through the Moors and Spain as a method to engage native people and convert them to Christianity. The folk drama has played out for over 400 years here,” explained Rick Romancito of the Taos and Zuni pueblos. “Performed throughout the Southwest, it starts in mid-morning and goes through the afternoon.”
“The Deer Dance is specifically done by the men because they do the hunting,” Kyle Martinez, Taos Pueblo Tourism coordinator said. “The men are thanking the animals for giving up their lives for our families.”
The Deer Dance is preceded by the Corn Dance, which includes women dancers.
Whichever dance is chosen, it will take place mid-day in the plaza fronting the brown adobe San Geronimo Chapel at Taos Pueblo, a UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Hundreds bundle up against the cold and gather on the plaza. The celebrations reflect the mingling of cultures that includes First Nations people, 16th-century Spanish colonialists and Rocky Mountain frontiersmen. Afterward, join the crowd at the Historic Taos Inn in the heart of Taos’ arts district. The inn’s two-and-a-half-story lobby — deemed “the living room of Taos” by locals — is illuminated with 10,000 Christmas lights and cheered with live music.
If you go, don’t miss the extraordinary Procession of the Virgin on Christmas Eve that starts right after the 5 p.m. mass. The nighttime procession is complete with two-story-high pitch-wood bonfires that permeate the air with the sweet smell of pine and juniper. The crack of a rifle starts the celebration as Puebloan men carrying torches and high-powered rifles bolt out of the doors of the San Geronimo Chapel.
As with all dances related to Taos Pueblo’s native religion, leave your cameras, recording devices and cell phones in your vehicle – they are not allowed. Complete your northern New Mexico holiday with a short road trip to Ojo Caliente Mineral Springs Resort and Spa for a dip in the world-famous mineral waters.
— Stacey “Vagabonding Chica” Wittig is a travel writer based in Flagstaff, AZ. She offers more free travel tips at http://www.vagabondinglulu.com