ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – One woman in Old Town dedicates 365 days to the most wonderful time of the year. She owns the Christmas Shop, which has been a staple for 40 years. 

The woman behind this small business has only been at it for the past three years. Elizabeth Kingswood says it was a natural fit.

“I love Christmas. I mean, I have a Christmas tree up all year long at home,” said Elizabeth Kingswood. 

She and her husband started by selling tea in Old Town.

“We started there in a little tiny shop, and then we moved into a little bigger shop. Then, during the shutdown for COVID, we moved in here,” said Kingswood.

Predictably, this time of year is busy.

“It’s a crazy time of year. I mean, Holiday Stroll is sort of the introduction to the holiday season, and it’s so crowded in here you can’t move,” Kingswood said. 

People come for the local flavor.

“They don’t want something that’s made some place far away. They want it, you know, is this made in New Mexico by a New Mexican?” said Kingswood.

The business of highlighting local artists and selling Christmas cheer wasn’t always the plan.

“I come out of the corporate world, as my husband did. So, I spent 30 years in marketing,” Kingswood said. “I went back and got my PhD in mythology, and one of the things I love is what do people believe in? What do they love? You know, what makes meaning in their life?”

She has found this time of year is truly important.

“Christmas is one of those things that makes a lot of meaning in their life. And so that’s one of the reasons why I really love that,” Kingswood said.

Doing business year round with a focus on that one day in December.

“To provide things that make people feel good,” said Kingswood.