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Feature Article
Articles by Linda DuVal, introduction by Rod Manuel Colorado has always attracted a certain type. From the Anasazi who carved an existence out of Mesa Verde more than a millennium ago to the Mexican farmers who ventured hundreds of miles north to settle in the San Luis Valley; from the trappers and miners who braved incredible hardships in the Rockies to modern-day residents who ski, hike, ride and climb those same mountains just for fun; Coloradans are a bold, adventurous and independent lot.San Luis: A walk to remember Dozens of bundled children, their parents and grandparents trudge through the snowy streets of San Luis each Christmas Eve, carrying candles or lanterns. Softly, they sing "Silent Night" in Spanish while following a couple dressed as Mary and Joseph. The couple seeks a place to stay. Mary is ready to deliver her baby, and no one wants to give them shelter. Las Posadas has been a tradition in the San Luis Valley since Juanita Malouf Dominguez and her family introduced it nearly 20 years ago. The ancient custom, often found in such New Mexico towns as Santa Fe and Taos, was reborn and quickly embraced in this mostly Hispanic, mostly Catholic, community. "We started it first in Denver in 1967," Dominguez recalls. "Las Posadas can be very simple or very grand. It can be very religious or more of a community celebration." When her family moved to San Luis in 1983 and discovered their new priest was one they knew from Denver, they took it as a sign. So in 1985, it started. Dominguez says the Sangre de Cristo parish has eight missions, plus the main church, giving them nine nights to perform the posada. "Many people come every night, or as many as they can," she says. Each night's procession is followed by a potluck dinner, and the Christmas Eve posada is followed by a pot luck and "midnight" Mass — usually at about 8 p.m. "It's a very bonding experience for us as a community," Dominguez says. "We share this religious tradition. We share our food— tamales, posole, green chile — and we renew friendships. It's a special time." Ouray: Santas in disguise When Michael Canava was a little boy growing up in Ouray, he looked forward each Christmas Eve to a visit from Santa Claus. In person. As an adult, Canava helps carry on the tradition. He's a member of the Elks Club of Ouray, which each year pulls off "Santa Delivers Christmas Eve." As past president of the Elks Club, Canava has more than once donned the old red suit and white beard to play Santa Claus to some of the 400 or so area children served by the program each year. "This is a tradition that goes back 75 or 80 years in Ouray,'' Canava says. "Nobody's sure exactly how long it's been going on.'' Each Christmas Eve, 10 or 15 Elks dress up and head out with their "reindeer" (drivers) and their four-wheel drives to visit children throughout the county whose parents have signed them up for the treat. The Santas deliver stockings filled with candy and small gifts, and sometimes parents leave gifts out on the porch for Santa to bring in as well. It can be a chore. "One Christmas Eve, I was still out driving around at 11 o'clock,'' Canava recalls. Another time, he stopped at a house where about 20 children were gathered. It took him half an hour just to distribute the goodies. "It was really meaningful to me that I knew most of those kids,'' he says. "One year, I got to deliver stockings to my nephews in the house where I grew up," says Canava. "You should have seen their faces. I must have looked just like that when I was their age.''
Deep in the winter woods near Palmer Lake, a log lies waiting. A red ribbon tied around it sets it apart from the other logs in the forest. It's the Yule log, the heart of a local tradition, the Palmer Lake Yule Log Festival. Meanwhile, back at the Palmer Lake town hall, a crowd of 300 to 500 local folks gather to sing songs and enjoy the afternoon. The hardiest will set out sometime after 1 p.m. to search for the log. The finder gets to ride it back to town. "I don't think it's changed much since it began in 1935," says Virgil Watkins, past president of the Palmer Lake Historical Society and annual emcee for the event, which happens Dec. 14 this year. The festival was started by several local women who got a sliver from the Lake Placid, N.Y., Yule log. Sixty-eight years later, Palmer Lake boasts the second oldest Yule log festival in the United States. Each year, half of last year's log is burned with half of this year's log. The remaining half is saved for the next year. "Last year, I think an adult found the log, but they gave credit to a little kid," he says, and the finder usually shares the ride with the children in the hunting party. Once the log is hauled back to the town hall, everyone enjoys an afternoon of singing and storytelling, and Watkins throws in a few jokes for good measure. The minister from The Little Log Church, a local nondenominational church, tells the biblical Christmas story. The finder of the log gets the first drink of wassail, then everyone gets a cup of cheer. It's not official, but newcomers to Palmer Lake just aren't part of the community until they attend a Yule Log Festival. "It's surely the most important event that happens here each year," Watkins says. Hartsell: The family tree A snowball fight usually erupts sometime during the Springer family's annual trek to the nearby national forest to cut their Christmas tree. The Springers — mom Theresa, dad Dennis, and usually all six children, now ages 16 and older — have been cutting their own tree for nearly 30 years. On a weekend in mid-December, cutting permit in hand, they pile into four-wheel-drive trucks or ride their horses (depending on the weather and snow cover) and head into the forest, seeking the perfect tree. "Whoever is doing the cutting usually gets ribbed a lot," she says, "and at some point, a snowball fight usually breaks out." The Springers bring along thermoses of hot chocolate to ward off the cold, and there's plenty more back at the house. The tree is erected and old-fashioned, mostly homemade ornaments are hung from its branches. "Then we know Christmas has begun," Theresa says. The holidays bring lots of family gatherings, from bowling to games and cards. "We're fiends for Chinese checkers." They don't hit the malls the day after Thanksgiving, and they don't give tons of expensive gifts. "We've always tried to keep the commercialism out of Christmas as much as we can," she says. "Christmas, for us, is about being together." Mesa Verde Lights Up —For one night in December during the past decade (Dec. 11 this year), area families gather at Mesa Verde National Park to see hundreds of luminarias, or farolitos, light the trail to the cliff dwelling, which itself is gently illuminated from the inside. To top off the evening, a native American singing group from Fort Lewis College performs native songs. Castle Rock Star —The 67th annual lighting of the star atop Castle Rock's namesake rock takes place at dusk on Nov. 22. Last year, 10,000 people showed up, all carrying candles, lanterns or flashlights. After the lighting, everyone walks to the fire department for a chili cookoff. Durango Caroling —On the Friday after Thanksgiving, residents gather downtown and join a caroling procession led by Santa, Mrs. Claus and a horse-drawn wagon full of children through the streets of Durango. Meanwhile, the local radio station broadcasts Christmas songs over a sound system and everyone sings along. Hot chocolate and cookies await the carolers at the train station. Denver's Jewish Community Reaches Out —The Colorado Agency for Jewish Education sponsors an outreach program each December in which Jewish volunteers visit Denver public schools to discuss Hanukkah as a way to promote understanding and tolerance for Jewish traditions. Also in Denver, for the 18th consecutive year, the Synagogue Council will train and provide Jewish volunteers (this year, more than 200) to work at Denver-area hospitals and nursing homes on Christmas Eve so that Christian volunteers and employees can spend the evening with their families. Leadville, Victorian-style —For the 20th consecutive year, a number of Leadville residents will decorate their homes Victorian-style and open them to the public. Linda DuVal is a feature writer for The Gazette in Colorado Springs and a freelance travel writer.
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