Words You’ll Want to Know
Every place has its own unique vocabulary. Get a head start when you move to Albuquerque by learning these words.
Bosque
[bohs-kay]
Spanish for “forest or woods”. The “Bosque” is the natural cottonwood forest which runs all along the Rio Grande River. The Bosque is one of the jewels of Albuquerque and has been designated as open space which cannot be developed. It is a favorite area for hiking, biking, horseback riding and family gatherings. No motorized vehicles are permitted.
Luminarias or Farolitas
[loo-muh-nah-ree-uh] [fah-ro-lee-tah]
Holiday lights made with brown paper sacks filled with sand and votive candles. Most people display them all around driveways, walkways and roofs during the Christmas Season. The tradition holds that by lighting the luminarias/farolitas, the path for the Christ child would be illuminated.
Swamp Cooler
Also known as evaporative cooler. These are cooling units used by many homes in the Southwest instead of refrigerated air conditioning. They operate on the principal of running water over special pads and pulling outside air over the moistened pads. This type of cooling will normally lower the inside house temperatures by 15 to 20 degrees.
Photo Credits
flickr photo by dgphilli http://flickr.com/photos/dgphilli/36688747 shared under a Creative Commons (BY-NC) license
flickr photo by OpenThreads http://flickr.com/photos/openthreads/185571000 shared under a Creative Commons (BY-NC-ND) license
flickr photo by City of Albuquerque Open Space http://flickr.com/photos/abqopenspace/2345459803 shared under a Creative Commons (BY) license
flickr photo by snowpeak http://flickr.com/photos/snowpeak/15434369880 shared under a Creative Commons (BY) license
flickr photo by Manicosity http://flickr.com/photos/vfranko/298618640 shared under a Creative Commons (BY-ND) license
flickr photo by j elden bailey http://flickr.com/photos/james_bailey/11661318006 shared under a Creative Commons (BY-NC-ND) license
flickr photo by spotzilla http://flickr.com/photos/spotzilla/4212155075 shared under a Creative Commons (BY-NC-ND) license
flickr photo by Mr.TinDC http://flickr.com/photos/mr_t_in_dc/4997603670 shared under a Creative Commons (BY-ND) license
flickr photo by Gruenemann http://flickr.com/photos/gruenemann/3331214012 shared under a Creative Commons (BY) license