We meet at American Prosperity Group, located 50 Oshara Blvd 

Each year on Christmas Eve in New Mexico, paper bags with lit candles are placed along walkways to light the way for Christ. They are called farolitos or luminarias. In Santa Fe, people gather downtown near the State Capitol building and walk up Canyon road, stopping off at bonfires to catch a bit of warmth and perhaps sing a few carols. Businesses and friends along the way offer hot cider, hot chocolate, and posole (a traditional Christmas stew).

Even though it was cold and icy in places there was a good turnout this year. The snow storm that hit us earlier in the week had had time to melt a bit and the roadways weren't as tricky so we got the best of both worlds, a white Christmas and mobility.

Blessed and joyous Seasons greetings to you and yours. May this Christmas be a safe one.

The French have a bit of a reputation for mistreating their royalty, but don’t be fooled – these days, it is more about cutting up cakes than cutting up kings. 

Look around the patisseries and supermarkets in France at the beginning of January, and you can’t miss the special ’gateaux’ prepared for the Fête des Rois. The French tradition of serving a frangipane filled tart known as the ’galette des rois’ (or the ’gateau des rois’ in the South of France) on, or around the 6th January, (the first Sunday of each New Year) actually dates back to the 14th century.

The festival takes place around Epiphany, the twelfth day of Christmas, when the wise men visited baby Jesus. According to tradition, the ‘galette des rois’, was to "draw the kings" to the Epiphany.

it goes rather well with a cup of tea or a glass or two of white wine. It is traditionally divided into enough portions for all the people present plus one more for the first poor person that passes by. A lucky charm (une fève - originally a bean but now more often a plastic trinket) is baked inside the galette, and whoever receives the fève is crowned king or queen for the day. It is the perfect opportunity to invite family and friends or maybe get together with those neighbours you haven’t yet met!

During the French Revolution, the name was replaced with ‘Gâteau de l’Égalité’ (equality cake), as the word ‘king’ was a little out of fashion!

 In 2012, Epiphany falls on the Friday January 6th. Although a normal school and working day, La Fête des Rois is still very much a family tradition. A ’fève’ (originally a bean but now tends to be a plastic trinket) is baked inside the cake and the cake is shared around the table. Whoever receives the fève is then crowned king or queen for the day and has the much coveted opportunity of bossing the rest of the family about! That same person can also choose someone to be their king or queen. According to tradition, the cake should be cut into as many slices as there are people present, plus 1 extra. This extra slice is called either, the ’part du Bon Dieu’ (God’s slice), the ’part de la Vierge’ (the Virgin Mary’s slice) or the ’part du pauvre’ (poor man’s slice) and should be offered to the first poor person who pops in!