By Kathryn Allen
It’s the holiday season! Some Apex neighbors enjoy competing with their neighbors to win the best decorated home on the block while other communities cooperate to decorate their neighborhoods. One of the most beautiful sights of the season is an entire street lined with flickering luminaria, those paper bags containing sand and a candle, set at the edge of the street.
While luminaria are most often associated with Christmas, the custom of using small lights to celebrate holidays happens in various traditions including Diwali and Hanukkah. Many people may be familiar with luminaria, but not sure where the custom comes from.
The tradition of luminaria originated in the southwestern U.S., based on a Spanish colonial tradition of building small bonfires to light the way to churches for Christmas Eve services. The soft glow of luminaria in the dark on Christmas Eve is a holiday tradition that many families around the country enjoy each year.
Luminaria maintain an old-fashioned charm but have also gained popularity in recent years as families consider how to decorate in an environmentally friendly way. Most parts of the luminaria can be recycled or reused, especially if the luminaria use an LED candle instead of a traditional flame candle.
Many of the luminaria we see in our neighborhoods come to us from a cooperative effort between Triangle Luminaria and local Scout troops and other youth organizations. Triangle Luminaria, started in the 1970s, is dedicated to the collaboration and teamwork necessary to plan and execute effective youth-led luminaria service projects and fundraisers for southwest Wake County.
Mike Harrell, secretary and communications board member, tells us, “Triangle Luminaria, a local volunteer-run organization, was founded in 1973 to provide fundraising opportunities for local youth groups, starting with Boy Scout troops in Cary and Apex. In the last 50-plus years, we have expanded to work with Girl Scout troops and American Heritage Girls as well as increasing our coverage area to include neighborhoods in West Cary, Holly Springs and Fuquay-Varina. Triangle Luminaria assigns neighborhoods to each youth group to prevent overlap.”
Triangle Luminaria provides the luminaria and marketing materials for the youth groups. The groups purchase the materials from Triangle Luminaria, assemble the kits and then market and sell them in their assigned neighborhoods. This gives the young people experience with working on a community service project collaboratively, along with learning small business skills like promotions and customer service.
Here in Apex, Boy Scout Troop 316, based at St. Mary Magdalene Catholic Church, is one of the youth organizations that participates in luminaria sales. The troop has been putting together luminaria and selling them in several neighborhoods around Apex since 1996. Eddie Falco, Scoutmaster for Troop 316, invited Suburban Living to come to a recent meeting to find out more about the troop’s current involvement in the luminaria project. In recent years, the Scouts have raised funds through luminaria sales to fund troop activities including campouts, which the Scouts look forward to, judging by the animated planning discussion for an upcoming outdoor adventure.
The 31 current active Scouts use three separate workdays to assemble, promote and deliver the luminaria each year. At a recent weekly meeting, Troop 316 Scouts and their leadership team discussed the upcoming 2025 luminaria project. The first day is the sand pit. Triangle Luminaria arranges delivery of the sand to each youth group. The Scouts of Troop 316 enjoy working together to divide the sand for each luminaria kit. In 2024, Troop 316 assembled 1,000 kits, and according to the Troop 316 steering committee, the Scouts and their leaders gathered 7,000 pounds of sand to create those kits.
When asked what they enjoy about the luminaria project, the Scouts tell us:
• “I like working on the sandpile. Last year, we got a good group turn-out.” (Landon)
• “The best part is walking around in the cold weather [to market the luminaria].” (Aaryon)
• “[The luminaria] assembly process worked well because we had lots of hands.” (Eli)
• “It was pretty fun walking around distributing [the luminaria].” (Joey)
• “My family always gets the luminaria for the holidays.” (Francisco)
While the luminaria sales and the funds they raise for the troop’s activities are important, the Scouts and their leaders focus on the luminaria as a community service project. Grant Haase, troop secretary and luminaria captain says, “Last year we utilized online forms to assist with organization and obtain feedback. Some customers shared that they love the luminaria and connect them to the holiday season. This was great feedback to the Scouts and a reminder — it’s also a service project that we’re lucky to share with our community.” The Scouts also see the connection to their community. Max tells us, “[It’s] the right thing to do to serve our community.”
For neighbors looking to add luminaria to their holiday decorations this year, the youth groups, including Boy Scout Troop 316, usually place marketing flyers in yards or on neighborhood discussion boards after November 22. If you don’t receive luminaria information, you can contact Triangle Luminaria through their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/triangleluminaria/.
Apex parents or youth interested in learning more about Troop 316 can email scoutmaster@t316apex.org or help@t316apex.org. For families who are looking for a Scout troop for their child in other parts of Apex, please visit https://beascout.scouting.org/ to find a troop near you.
