Are you ready for Christmas yet? The long-awaited day is getting closer and closer and we are celebrating Christmas properly. Therefore, at we wanted to explore how Christmas is celebrated in Colombia. This Latin American country is a very festive and happy place that knows how to enjoy with the best Colombian Christmas traditions. If you want to know more, join us!
Discover how Christmas is celebrated in Colombia
“Since September it feels like December is coming” This is famous slogan that is heard on Colombian radio. And yes, one of the curiosities of Colombia is that Christmas has been prepared since September. The stores are filled with Christmas lights and decorations that spread happiness to anyone. In Colombia, why is Christmas celebrated? Being a Catholic country, the birth of Jesus is mainly remembered, but as is natural for Colombians, this festival is filled with a lot of joy, music and flavor. Let’s learn a little about these traditions!
10 Colombian Christmas Traditions
Colombia is a country full of curiosities. Whether you are from Colombia or not, you cannot miss knowing how they celebrate Christmas. Don’t forget to tell us if you knew about these traditions or if your country has the same or similar customs. As a brief appetizer, we leave you these Christmas poems. Now, let’s travel to the land of orchids and coffee.
1. The day of candles
In Colombia it inaugurates the Christmas season with the day of the candles. This festival takes place on December 7th and its objective is to celebrate the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary. This day, Colombia is responsible for lighting up the world and the spirit of Christmas. Everyone gathers to light candles, torches and lanterns along the street, on the windows and on the balconies.
This tradition is done for illuminate the path of the virgin. But the most important thing tonight is to have 7 candles, which should be given as a gift. Each of these represents a wish that can be made to the virgin, or that can be offered to another person who needs it. Sometimes, wishes are made based on the color of the candle. Thus, red is love and green is hope, for example.
This Colombian tradition reminds us of Washington Irving, who said: «Christmas is the season to light the fire of hospitality in the living room, and the brilliant flame of charity in the heart.» This is one of the great Christmas phrases that fill us with excitement. Let’s continue learning how Christmas is celebrated in Colombia.
2. Colombian Christmas traditions: the novenas
This is a very curious way in which Christmas is celebrated in Colombia. The novenas are a series of prayers that are said during the 9 days before Christmas, starting on December 16. During each of these days they leave narrating the last days before the birth of Jesus. Believers or not, it is one of the Colombian Christmas traditions Go to friends’ houses to pray the novena. After gathering in front of the manger to pray, the gathering turns into another celebration, filled with food, music and drink.
Something curious about the novenas is that no Colombian home can lack them. the tambourines and maracas, which become another Christmas decoration. This is because during the novenas the joys are sungwhich are small songs that ask Jesus to arrive in Colombian homes.
3. The bonuses
Among the Colombian Christmas traditions are the aguinaldos, which are a kind of game or bet. They are made between family and friends and normally begin on December 16, along with the novenas. He who loses the game You must pay the winner their bonus with a gift on Christmas Day. There are many games, but among the most common are “Yes and No”: in this you must avoid saying “yes” or “no”, otherwise you will have to pay the bonus. Another very famous one is «the three feet», if you are unprepared the other person can place their foot between yours and thus you will have lost.
4.What is a Christmas dinner like in Colombia?
A great way to celebrate Christmas in Colombia is with lots of food. Among the typical Colombian food we can find the ajiaco, the lechona and the sancocho. These are dishes that cannot be missing from the Christmas table.
But the most important are the donut, a ball of fried corn flour and the custard, a kind of flan. In addition to these, there are tamales, turkey leg and pork leg. There is also the fruit bread and wine cake. All of these are accompanied with a champagne or a whiskey.
5. Christmas decorations
Beyond decorations, this is another way in which Christmas is celebrated in Colombia. Well it’s tradition assemble the tree and the manger among the whole family. For its part, making the nativity scene is quite a feat and families enjoy making them on a large scale, so much so that in the city of Cartagena, there is the largest manger in the world which has been awarded four guiness records and that moves through different cities.
It’s also normal find decorated almost anywhere, from homes, squares, museums and shopping centers. Everyone puts a lot of effort into having the best Christmas decorations. Among this, there are also living mangers. In these, they are made short presentations of the path of Mary and Joseph until the birth of the Child Jesus.
6. The spectacular Alumbrados!
How is Christmas celebrated in Colombia? Let’s go see the lights! This is a plan that cannot be missing among Colombian Christmas traditions. All cities decorate their streets from end to end. In parks, squares and shopping centers large structures and Christmas decorations go up very beautiful and colorful. The magnitude of the lighting is such that they have even been designed different routes so that people can explore the city while they see the lights.
When you’re walking around the lights, you can’t forget to take your Canelazo. This is a mix of brandy with panela and cinnamon, very typical, especially for the cold night of Bogotá. On the other hand, if you prefer non-alcoholic drinks, you can have a chocolate or panela water with cheese. We assure you that it is one of the Colombian delights!
Similar to the lighting, one of the curiosities of Bogotá is that there is the night cycle path. At Christmas time, a day is chosen when from 6 to 12 p.m. several streets are closed to make way for bicycles and pedestrians. In addition to enjoying the lighting, you can Enjoy the different stops that include live music and food.
7. How is Christmas celebrated in Colombia according to music?
During the December season, in Colombia there is no shortage of classic Christmas carols. But this is not all. It is also normal to hear the typical rhythms of the country such as salsa, vallenato, cumbia and even papayathis is a typical rhythm of the Caribbean coast that lights up any party.
If you have been to Colombia you surely know that it is a country where the party never stops. For this reason, it is tradition to meet The Chivas Rumberas, These are a kind of large car, which has no doors and which It has the space for people to dance inside. Parties are held there while you walk throughout the city and reach different stops where there are more celebrations. Now that’s a lot of partying!
8. Christmas Eve at Christmas in Colombia
December 24 is very important for families. From very early everyone gets ready and gets ready. new pints that will premiere at night. After getting off work, everyone gathers at home to pray on the last day of the novena.
When midnight arrives, the Child Jesus is uncovered, This is usually done by the youngest in the house. Once this tradition is fulfilled, a toast for christmas. And now dinner is coming. When everyone is done, it’s time to open the gifts.
Something that should not surprise you about Colombia is that they leave the doors open. In some neighborhoods it is common celebrate in the street with the neighbors. Thus, they stop by to say hello and stay for a while to talk and have a few drinks.
The next morning the party continues and the typical barbecue on December 25. Normally, this is accompanied with refajo, a mixture of soda and beer which, it has always been said, is the most effective cure for cure guava of those who had too many drinks.
9. Social Works
During this time it is also typical to see different social works. These are carried out by institutions such as The Mayor’s Office or the National Police that organize donations of gifts and markets for the most vulnerable families in the country. Similarly, large companies and shopping centers join the cause to collect donations. In addition, they give their employees the classic anchetas, These are filled with cookies, wine, candy and canned food.
10. Christmas shows
In Colombia Christmas is also celebrated with many Christmas shows. It is not surprising that heThe theaters take to the streets to give the community a big smile. Also amateurs and individuals exploit all their talent by doing juggling, dancing or miming and much more! This is great entertainment for pedestrians, who help them with tips.
Within the country’s theaters there are also great productions: plays and musicals, that complement the Christmas plan of any Colombian. Among them stands out Me if, the largest musical theater school in the country.
Lastly, there are The Carrancios. These are a type of parade that is done in some parts of the country, such as Santander. In general, they are held on December 29 and in them you can see large carriages with different famous and regional people, which represent all Colombian culture. This is a great way to celebrate with the whole family in the best Colombian style.
What did you think of these Colombian traditions? Wow, they have awakened the Christmas spirit in us! Tell us what traditions you have to celebrate Christmas. We hope you are feeling very well and that you spend these holidays with your family surrounded by lots of love and abundance.
If the Christmas spirit has already awakened in you, we invite you to read our post on Christmas curiosities. In advance, we wish you happy holidays and much prosperity! Christmas in the world is very diverse. For this reason, we have prepared this selection about the celebrations of different countries. We hope you enjoy it and get filled with the Christmas spirit.