Christmas In Colombia
NEW CHRISTMAS TRADITION
Have you ever wanted to take a break from traditional family Christmas trips and experience the holiday season in a different country? I would recommend spending a few weeks to a month to be a part of Colombian Christmas traditions. Latin American Christmases are done a little differently than in the United States or in Europe. A Colombian Christmas is filled with light decorations, special food dishes and spending time with the ones you love.
Colombians spend nearly the whole month of December, starting on the evening of the 7th and going right to the morning of Dec. 25 celebrating the holiday. Colombians take Christmas very seriously and have created their own cultural traditions that are unique to their family as well as how it is celebrated regionally or nationally. Spending a month in Colombia is the perfect amount of time to get a great sense of their cultural holiday customs.
MEDELLIN, COLOMBIA
Start your trip by flying into the city of Medellin before La Noche de Las Velitas, which is the Night of the Candles." La Noche de las Velitas is a celebration that takes place every year on the evening of Dec. 7, leading up to the Feast of the Immaculate Conception on Dec. 8, a Catholic and national holiday in Colombia. Since more places will be closed on the 8th, this will give you time to relax and take in the Christmas spirit on your first day of your trip.
In Bogota and Medellin, people begin lighting their candles the night of the 7th, while near the coast the majority of people wake up or stay up until 3:00-4:00 a.m. The location and setting of the candles varies from region to region. For example in Medellin, people place the candles in the streets, often creating unique designs with the candles as they burn out, while in Barranquilla people place the candles in their windows or in plastic farolitos (luminarias), as it can be too windy for candles to burn on their own outdoors.
Medellin is a modern and vibrant city, filled with many parks, plazas, and museums for you to learn the city’s history as you travel around. This mountainous province with perfect December weather is the easiest place to start your Christmas in Colombia journey. If you take a free walking tour, you get the chance to see more of the city, learn about the best places to eat and drink and learn factual information about the era of notorious drug lord Pablo Escobar.
Parque Berrio is a quiet local hang-out spot where you can hear street musicians and buy from vendors selling food and snacks. While you are there, you must try one of the most common Colombia snacks, the arepa, a thick corn pocket treat. Plaza Boter, is a little more touristy and is filled with the sculptures of Fernando Botero, a native sculptor of Colombia. This is also where you can find the Museo de Antioquia, where you can find more of Botero’s works. After a few days spent in Medellin you will be ready for your next Colombian Christmas adventure.
The second Colombian Christmas tradition is that of novenas, where many host friends, family and co-workers for nine nights of celebration. The novena tradition originated in South American Catholicism, and they eat traditional Colombian Christmas food and sign traditional Christmas music. The word novena means "ninth," and it is used to describe a certain type of Christmas gathering that happens over the nine nights before Christmas, finishing on the ninth night, Dec. 24 when the birth of Jesus is celebrated. This would be a good time to head to the Carribean coast to take part in the festivity of each night.
COAST OF COLOMBIA
Cartagena is the most popular touristy along Colombia’s coastline, as it tends to be a little bit more expensive. This old town city has colorful colonial buildings and cobblestone streets. It is beautiful and worth a visit if you have time, but I recommend spending a couple days on the coast in Santa Marta, Taganga, and Barranquilla to offer a more local Colombian experience. During the day you can spend your time scuba diving or just laying by the beach, and at night you can take part in one of the novena festivities. Each night there are special prayers devoted to holy figures such as baby Jesus, Mother Mary and Joseph. It is worth a day and overnight trip to Tayrona National Park, where you can see beautiful birds, monkeys and lush trees.This is the type of place where you want to carry the best mosquito/bug repellent you can find or you will leave with some harsh bites. You can camp here and make your next trip to Taganga, where you can enjoy beach restaurants and mini islands along the coast with views of multi-blue colored water.
Different houses will host a meeting for every night of the Novenas which include food, prayer, and singing carols. Similar to North American many homes are decorated with Christmas trees and lights displayed in their windows or balconies. The nativity scene is a very important Christmas decoration in Colombia because at the beginning of the month children write “Carta al Nino Dios” -- a letter to baby Jesus -- asking for presents on Christmas, and these letters are placed in El Pesebre (nativity scene). Seeing the lights reflect off-blue water coast creates a calming Christmas environment.
BOGOTA, COLOMBIA
The next stop is Bogota, because there are Christmas decorations, vendors on the streets selling unique gifts and the light show in Bolivar Square is the best way to end the novenas and start your Christmas Day. While in America countries celebrate Christmas on Dec. 25, in Colombia, as in many Latin American countries, Christmas is celebrated on Dec. 24 at midnight and into the wee hours of the morning on ther 25th. On the night of Dec. 24, Bogota puts on an hour-long light installation show, bringing everyone to the square. The show is a highlight of Colombia's history, customs, and adds a sense of Colombian pride for the views.
Children receive their presents from El niño Dios (God Child) at midnight and sometimes families will sit down for their Christmas dinner around 11:00 p.m. or midnight as well. The Christmas meal that is actually eaten on Christmas Eve night and it’s called “Cena de Navidad.” The meal usually includes a dish known as “Lechona,” which is stuffed pork with rice and peas and a meat soup called “Ajiaco Bogotano.” The popular Christmas dessert is a custard-style treat known as ‘Natilla”, and they are delicious! Usually after the Christmas feast, people typically go to a midnight mass church service.
Bogota is a cool city where its Colonial and Modern architecture meet and show how Colombia has come a long way from its dangerous image to a city of young creatives. If you visit the Monserate either via walking or cable car, you will be able to continue your Christmas adventure all the way to the top of the mountain. At night, all the lights and decorations are lit, and you have a full view of downtown Bogota. During the day you can visit local coffee shops and the museums such as the Museum of Gold; except for Dec. 23-25, all of these places will be open. After Christmas is over you can head back home with many stories and information that you have learned about your Colombian Christmas.