Hanging of the Greens brightens UNM’s campus

On Friday, Dec. 6, UNM hosted its annual Hanging of the Greens (HOTG) on campus. Hundreds of students, alumni, family, and Lobo friends gathered to view luminarias that illuminated the University in an orange hue.

Many families and students look forward to HOTG every year, but others experienced luminarias for the first time.

Cody Rappazzo, a junior at the University of New Mexico, says it was his first time at the event.

"I'm from L.A. and I've never seen people light bags and place them outside. At first I thought it was weird, but at night it looks beautiful," Rappazzo said. "This was my first time coming with friends and I was blown away."

Rappazzo didn't just attend the event he also helped prepare for nightfall, folding bags and filling them with sand around UNM's alumni chapel.

"I volunteered with UNM's Army ROTC program because it's something our program has helped with for a long time," Rappazzo said. "I didn't think it would be a big deal, but a lot of people were excited to see the chapel… it feels good to know I helped with that."

Darkness blanketed Albuquerque but was worn thin by the warm glow of luminarias on campus. Some luminarias lined sidewalks where families and their friends gathered for photos, and others contorted themselves in shapes and words for the crowds.

A fan favorite was a Lobo paw on the northern end of the Student Union Building sporting the university's acronym: 'UNM.'

"I couldn't see it at first coming down the ramp, but it (the paw) was probably the coolest design I saw," Rebbecca Moss, a student at UNM, said. "At first, I was upset because, you know, the duck pond's closed, but UNM still did an amazing job."

Moss has been to Hanging of the Greens since she was a freshman. Now a sophomore, the event was her second time attending, and she says she's ready for a third.

"Ever since I went for the first time I was in love with the concept. I'm from New Mexico, so obviously, we did these growing up," Moss said. "I plan on attending next year for sure."

UNM became a scene for holiday cheer. Lobos received free cookies, holiday photos, and hot chocolate from the Maxwell Museum on campus. Lobos also could snag a free holiday photo with their families and friends or traverse hundreds of brightly lit sidewalks to spend time with loved ones before the event ended late on Friday night.

Lobos will miss the orange glow of campus but can look forward to next year's HOTG in December.