Building a Rose Petal Luminary Jar

Light from a fire has served as a destination beacon for weary travelers since the first discovery and use of fire. Two thousand years ago, shepherds marked the way to the manger of the Christ Child with small bonfires.

For centuries the people of Mexico have gathered on Christmas Eve to light large bonfires in the villages to pray, sing and welcome the Christ Child. After these celebrations, small bonfires were built in front of each home to welcome the Baby Jesus.

One family, unable to prepare the traditional welcome bonfires due to illness, discovered their youngest child, to welcome the Christ Child, had found a broken candle and placed it in a paper bag partially filled with sand and placed it outside their home. These "little lights," or luminaries, have since become a way to greet not only the Christ Child, but all who pass by.

A wonderful way to observe this tradition is to make a rose petal luminary jar that you can display in your front window. To make your jar, simply take a large glass jar, vase or bowl and using the small Christmas wheat lights, clear or colored, layer a potpourri mix in the bowl with the lights placed toward the outside edge of the inside of the container. Adding rose petals in with the mix or over the top adds the Christmas rose tradition to your luminary. The heat of the lights adds warmth to the mix, lending even more fragrance to your holiday home.

To start your potpourri mix, collect the petals remaining on the rose stem before they turn brown. Dry them until crisp on a screen cookie sheet or any flat surface. Red, one of the prominent colors of the season, is also the single most popular rose color purchased in the month of December and when dried, red roses turn a lovely deep wine color.

For each quart of petals you collect, add one tablespoon of a fixative (an aroma additive). Dry lavender, oak moss, sandalwood or orrisroot are good choices and are available at many herb and spice shops or drugstores. Use the chopped form, not powdered.

Next, stir in your favorite herbs and spices. Cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, dried citrus peel and vanilla beans are popular additions. Finally, add several drops of essential oils. If you like, substitute your favorite perfume. Seal the finished potpourri in a jar and let it mellow for approximately ten days. In order to properly blend the ingredients, shake the collection jar briskly every two days.

You can then use your rose potpourri mix in your luminary jar, or if you lack enough petals to make your mix, you can purchase a commercial potpourri mix, add your rose petals as a way to extend the mix, and add fragrance.