Bogota becomes empty at least till half January. If you have never experienced a Colombian Christmas, you sure are missing out. It’s divisive due to repeated safety concerns and the incredible noise that comes from thousands of people blowing up gunpowder all night! Music and Dance of Colombia If you visited the country of Colombia, you could hear a wide variety of music and see many different dances. Christmas carols, and enjoy traditional Christmas foods. Christmas is coming, and with it its myriad traditions. bunhuelos  /  Christmas  /  Colombia  /  culture and traditions  /  Roman Catholic  /  South America, im spanish and hispanic and i still dont know how they dressed 100 years ago on cristmas what a shame. On December 28, the whole country celebrates the Day of the Innocents: people pull pranks, play practical jokes, and just generally try to amuse each other and themselves! Customs across Colombia vary from region to region, but in general this is how people from this party-crazy country celebrate the festive season. In anticipation of this event, people started lighting candles. They are accompanied by fireworks. Sadly, these hurricanes did impact many of the children and families that we serve.…. Please join us on an exploration of Christmas in Colombia! They also give everyone the presents We hope you have enjoyed learning about some of the important Christmas holiday traditions in Colombia to celebrate Jesus’ birthday! The last novena is the evening of December 24, when everyone remembers that Jesus came to earth. Another popular Colombian Christmas food is tamales. On Christmas night, families share special dinners, depending on which region of Colombia they are in. We even have our own version of Santa Claus and we celebrate it on December 24th, not on the 25th as in … That is very special and of course so is she. In the evening on December 7, people place paper lanterns and candles are placed on porches, balconies, streets, sidewalks, squares and parks in cities and pueblos throughout Colombia. Fun though…. Yellow Underwear. Christmas is a special time of year. She wrote that she loves the lights in the city and park and of course the presents. This is an important festivity in which kids and adults join at night to light velitas (little candles) in the streets and windows. For example, peanuts are used in the Cauca region, while tamales prepared in the Eastern valley used to have turtle meat. Colombian folks have some very interesting Christmas traditions. While grandmothers cook, the rest of the family begins decorating the house, the streets, and the whole neighborhood. Some people might think it seems a tad mean to have Baby Jesus delivering the presents – it is his birthday and all – but it’s an important Colombian Christmas tradition nonetheless. On New Years Eve it’s tradition to wear yellow underwear. The Dia de las Velitas, or Day of the Little Candles, is how most Colombians welcome the Christmas season. Whether you are spending the holiday season in Colombia or simply want to learn more about the culture, this blog post will give you the details about all the food Sometimes familiar, sometimes foreign, often odd, and sometimes downright strange, these 30 traditions from around the world have one thing in common: they're all about Christmas. The streets are normally decorated with plastic colorful flags and lights. These six Colombian Christmas traditions will be familiar to everyone from Colombia, no matter where they find themselves today. I sponsor a little lady in Colombia named Karen. People pull pranks like giving others fake food, inventing stories and so on. You will find elaborate nativity scenes – sometimes complete with running water or real plants – in the lobby of most apartment buildings and hotels. They gather around nativity scenes and sing songs, pray, and read the Bible. Colombian Food #4: Ajiaco Soup Ajiaco soup is a Colombian chicken and potato soup, typically served with corn on the cob, chopped avocado, capers and a drizzle of sour cream. How long does Christmas last in Colombia? The city has banned the use of gunpowder now with stiff fines for anyone who is caught with it, but that doesn’t stop an… They decorate Christmas trees and the most important thing, the empty cradle where they place Baby Jesus on December 24. When it comes to Nativity Scenes...Colombians go big! Colombia isn't well known around the world for Colombian food and its cuisine. Colombians sure do love a party…. Not Convinced Your Letters Matter? Some of them also have rice, peas, eggs, carrots, bacon and chicken. Delicious food, religious ceremonies and family games are just some of the historic components of Christmas traditions in Colombia. Tradition says that each wish will come true in the New Year. Here are five ways to ensure you pass the festive season like a local. This is a culture that has always remained very close and conscious to … During this special festivity, people sing Christmas carols, and read Bible verses, among other activities. These traditions are of particular importance around Christmas. On the streets, they do colorful drawings. Another Medellin Christmas tradition and a divisive one at that are the Alboradas – every December 1, to welcome the Christmas season, it’s traditional to blow up a tonne of fireworks throughout the city. It will be a night you will never forget because the fireworks continue all night long, even until the early morning. I have been to Nicaragua on Mission trips to build schools and teach VBS at an orphanage on the island…, Thank you for the information about Nicaragua. We While many countries await the arrival of Santa Claus bearing gifts for the kids, in Colombia, it’s a little different: children stay up until late on December 24 to receive presents delivered by…the Baby Jesus himself! Learn about Christmas in Colombia and traditional Christmas traditions and celebrations in Colombia! The origin of this celebration was in 1854 when Pope Pius IX defined the dogma of the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary. Finally, to celebrate the New Year, Colombians have a long-standing tradition of eating 12 grapes as the clock strikes midnight. Obviously, Christmas lights and nativity scenes are not particularly unusual or unique to Colombia. And the Christmas lights take it to another level: Medellin, in particular, is famous for the millions of lights they string up in the city every Christmas. Today I want to share some of the Christmas and New Year’s traditions that I grew up with in Colombia. This article was originally published Dec 24, 2010. 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