ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – New Mexicans are getting ready to bask in the warm glow of a belove Christmas Eve tradition. Homes in Albuquerque’s Country Club neighborhood were already decked out in preparation for Friday night’s luminaria tour on Thursday afternoon.

People were seen at Rio Grande Park picking up free sand in order to fill their bags. “What I do to make it easier on myself is I recycle the bags every year. The following year I’m ready to go and do the whole process within about, say, two hours’ time. That’s bagging all of them and setting them out in front of my house,” said Sixto Herrera, an Albuquerque resident.