Catholic devotees in Bogota take part in ceremonial pilgrimages to visit seven religious monuments or churches in the city throughout Holy Week to evoke the journey Christ made during his crucifixion. Epiphany is one of the major religious celebrations in Colombia along with Easter and Christmas. Thanks for catching that. Thanks. Labor Day originated in the United States where it falls on the first Monday in September. why Felize Navidad is important to them. Welp, Ive Been Searching For Them For 1 Hour.The Report Is Due Tommorrow It It The Only Thing Im Lacking. It is a holiday tradition in Colombia, Ecuador and Venezuela. This is without doubt the best time of the year and as it flies by so quickly people can’t wait to celebrate – you might sometimes see Christmas adornments mixed in with Halloween decorations.. In 1264 Pope Urban IV declared Corpus Christi as a holiday. Like corn and cheese, rice is something you’ll find often in Colombian dishes. Your email address will not be published. Cheers!! La Novena de Aguinaldos. In addition, many readers of the Medellin Guru website have asked for details about the Colombia holidays. they eat cheese and bread balls. The multitude of holidays, festivals and carnivals make for an exciting culture, in which the people are very welcoming and cheerful. La versión de este post en castellano aquí : “Navidad en Colombia vs. Navidad en los EE.UU.” Having celebrated 24 Christmas seasons at home with my family in the United States, I am pretty used to the traditions, songs, and festivities.This year it is all brand new as I spend the holidays in my new adopted home of Colombia! This holiday is observed on the Friday before Easter Sunday. Colombians wear a new set of bright yellow underwear to welcome in the New Year. Copyright © 2020 Medellin Guru - All Rights Reserved. Most notably, Colombia frequently ranks in the top three in happiness surveys. Natilla is a sweet custard-like wobbly pudding, they eat a fryed pastry for desert. This holiday celebrates Christ’s holiness. According to the New Testament, this took place before the eyes of his disciples. This holiday is traditionally celebrated with fireworks displays at midnight in the 31st in the local time zones. Día de las Velitas, photo by Melissa Álvarez. This is a day that is celebrated in many parts of Latin America and the Caribbean. One of our Christmas traditions is novenas, which take place during the nine days preceding Christmas and which commemorate Jesus’ birth. This day is the unofficial start of the Christmas season in the country. The Medellin Flower Fair is colorful, flower-y and a great place to scope out some Colombian traditions. However, in many cases, employment contracts provide employees with payment on days off that occur due to an official national holiday. On May 12 the Mother’s Day in Colombia is celebrated. Colombian Halloween: Promises of love, sex and money Craft beer Bogotá: 3 Cárites, hot beer for cold nights. The period between Christmas Day and Epiphany is known as the Twelve Days of Christmas. And it’s very typical that you will hear fireworks early into the morning in many neighborhoods. Columbus Day celebrates the day when Christopher Columbus first arrived in the Americas, which occurred in 1492. Colombia 2020. This is scheduled on March 25, the first Monday after the 19th. This holiday combined with Good Friday on April 10 are part of the holy week or Semana Santa in Colombia, which commemorates the death and resurrection of Jesus as told by the New Testament. Holiday Traditions Around the World – Colombia December 8, 2020 While many Christian countries enjoy Christmas celebrations, in Colombia, their celebrations last almost all month, beginning on December 7, with “Día de las Velitas”, or “Day of the Candles.” Medellín in particular celebrates Christmas in a big way each year with its world-class Christmas lights. Painting of the Battle of Boyacá by J. W. Cañarete in the National Museum, photo by Peter Angritt. This holiday commemorates the presentation of the infant Jesus to the three wise men. Colombia is the home of many colorful festivals and traditions taking place throughout the year, with many Colombia holidays largely dictated by the Catholic calendar. So, nine of the 18 holidays in Colombia in 2021 are on a Monday. In addition, the Christmas season in Colombia unofficially tends to start on December 7, which is known as Día de las Velitas (Day of Candles). One does not match your list – Corpus Cristi is on June 7 not June 3, as it was moved to a Monday. La Novena de Navidad is the tradition that families use to prepare for Christmas. Arroz con coco is a Colombian favorite. The Christmas season in Colombia starts on December 7th when families light candles in honor of the Virgin Mary. While many Christian countries enjoy Christmas celebrations, in Colombia, their celebrations last almost all month, beginning on December 7, with “Día de las Velitas”, or “Day of the Candles.” The lighting of the candles starts off the Christmas season and symbolizes the wishes people have for themselves, their family and loved ones in the new year. Many Colombianos and for that matter people of Latin America, see this date as important to recognize and honor our indigenous community and the diversity of our countries. With so many Colombia holidays each year, it turns out that many Colombians on some of these holidays don’t even know what is being celebrated in my experience. The Novena of Aguinaldos is a set of prayers recited the nine days before Christmas and a social event too, when families and friends come together to eat, pray and sing Christmas carols (villancicos). The holiday commemorates when Cartagena became the first Colombian city to declare independence from the Spanish. The future of Medellin Guru needs the help of readers to remain ad free. 16 Aug Mon Assumption Day Holiday (The Night of the Candles) – This is a beautiful and scenic tradition that is best seen in local neighborhoods. And the malls are normally open this week as well as most grocery stores and many restaurants. Many of the dates for holidays in Colombia fluctuate from year to year. 2 Apr Fri Good Friday There are certainly lots of celebrations and commemorations to look forward to. Like every other country, Colombia has unique customs and traditions that leave visitors from other countries perplexed. Felize Navidad is important Thanks for this article Jeff. Christmas traditions vary all around the world, and celebrating Christmas outside your own country or away from your family can seem like an odd or even alien experience the first time you do it. Some people mistakenly believe Mary ascended into heaven. Tourist Visas: How to Extend a Tourist Visa in Medellín... How to Obtain a Colombian Visa – With Up-to-Date ... beautiful churches in Medellín and the Aburrá Valley, Día de Amor y Amistad (Valentine’s Day of Colombia), Medellin Guru weekly email newsletters and sign up here, Join the January Medellin Guru Meetup at Medellin Beer Factory, Alumbrados 2017: Medellín’s World-Class Christmas Lights, Join the August Medellin Guru Meetup at Randy’s Sports Bar in El Poblado, Join the July Medellin Guru Meetup at 20Mission Cerveza, 12 Downsides of Owning a Car in Medellín: Why Expats Don’t Have Cars, Nightly Curfews in Medellín and Antioquia from January 14 to 26, Coronavirus in Colombia: Myth vs Reality – Current Status, How Long to Get a Colombian Visa? Learn all about Colombian traditions and use some of them when celebrating this wonderful time of the year. Cheers. National holiday: Sep 18: Saturday: Valentine's Day: Observance: Sep 22: Wednesday: September Equinox: Season: Oct 12: Tuesday: Columbus Day: National holiday: Oct 18: Monday: Day off for Columbus Day: National holiday: Oct 31: Sunday: Halloween: Observance: Nov 1: Monday: All Saints' Day: National holiday: Nov 11: Thursday: Independence of Cartagena: National holiday: … Thanks for the helpful article. Día de las Velitas. Colombia has 18 public holidays in a year ranking it #4 in terms of countries with the most days off. Colombian Holiday Traditions. The common characteristics of the festivals are the nomination of a beauty Queen and the setting up of public dance floor. Home; Countries; Colombia; Year Planner; Subscribe to Calendar; Coronavirus: Travel status Passengers need a medical certificate with a negative COVID-19 test result taken at most 96 hours prior to departure. 5 Jul Mon Feast of St Peter and St Paul they call him st nicolas and it is just like our santa. Alumbrados 2019: Medellín’s World-Class Christmas Lights. Colombia Visa Processing Times, Medellín Metro Guide: Updated Guide with New 2021 Fares, Hacienda Napoles: Pablo Escobar’s Former Estate Turned Theme Park, COVID-19 Testing in Colombia: Reality About Coronavirus Testing, How to Obtain a Colombian Visa – With Up-to-Date 2021 Info. All over Colombia, cities, towns, family and people normally celebrate and recognize Holy Week in a variety of different ways and levels of intensity. I lived in Colombia and in all that time I found Colombians don’t need a reason to celebrate. Colombia has an enviable calendar of 18 public holidays per year. It’s inconvenient in a way because I need to change plans but on the other hand things are really tranquil. Victor Chavez/WireImage/Getty Images. And that Mary was void of original sin all of her life. 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. Please forgive the potentially politically incorrect notion that a culture’s traditions could be considered ‘unusual’ – especially coming from someone who will teach his children that a fat, bearded old man from the North Pole who rides in on a sleigh pulled by flying reindeers will bring them their presents. It is an entirely festive, but above all family-oriented, atmosphere. On this date in 1810, Colombian patriots stirred the population of Bogotá into a major uprising in the streets against Spanish rule. 1 May Sat Labour Day Fireworks, watching sports and listening to traditional Colombian music are other popular activities. Each candle is lit to signify a path for the Virgin Mary to bring good wishes for the new year and thanks for the good blessings she has brought Colombians to the current year. Reportedly only two countries in the world have more public holidays than Colombia – Sri Lanka and India – according to WorldAtlas. And we have a Queen, I’m told that’s weird. In addition, this holiday occurs the day before Good Friday. But can be moved to a Monday. So, we plan to update this article each year or post a new article so this website remains up-to-date. Semana Santa this year in Colombia is considered to be from Sunday March 25 to Saturday March 31. Guest Marcela Gomez delves deeper into the culture, people and traditions of Colombia. Hi Jeff, regarding the holiday list for 2021, I’ve noticed several discrepancies from other lists. This is one list I came across which one other list concurs with…, 1 Jan Fri New Year’s Day Once you have lived in Colombia for a while you get used to there being a lot of holidays each year in Colombia. what they do. And the most notable is in Cartagena where the most colorful parade takes place, which ends at Plaza Trinidad, the location where Cartagena’s independence was originally declared. Among its most popular national dishes are sancocho, a type of soup; arepa, a sort of sandwich and bandeja paisa, a traditional meat platter. But Carnival in Barranquilla is cancelled in 2021 due to coronavirus. Also, some employees will have to work on holidays, as not everything closes. No article on Colombian traditions would be complete without an overview of Colombia's famous carnivals. At the end of March with Maundy & Good Friday–you mentioned many businesses close for a week–does this mean 3/29–4/4? Also, the above photo is courtesy of Vecteezy. Traditional Colombian Festivals. Saint Joseph is the patron saint of the Catholic Church, unborn children, fathers, immigrants and workers. It’s a tradition believed to bring a year full of love and happiness. This is an important festivity in which kids and adults join at night to light velitas (little candles) in the streets and windows. Corpus Christi was established to create a feast focused solely on the Holy Eucharist emphasizing the joy of the Eucharist being the body and blood of Jesus Christ. So, if you plan to go to a movie on a holiday in Colombia buy a ticket early or you will have to stand in a long line. Colombian has more public holidays than any other country in the world. Jeff is the founder and editor-in-chief of Medellin Guru. Our religious festivities, the milestones of our history and even the triumphs of our athletes are events to celebrate. 14 Jun Mon Sacred Heart Day Colombia Holidays #14. *Please Just Don't Put Stuff About Christmas Ty* While many Bogotanos leave the Colombian capital city during the Easter holidays, certain traditions have been preserved for those that choose to remain. Officially, Christmas traditions in Colombia begin on December 7 when Colombian people celebrate El Día de las Velitas, or Day of the Little Candles. Starting with Dia de las Velitas, or “Day of the Little Candles”, on 7 December, 30 days of festivities follow before the holiday finishes on 6 January with the celebration of the Three Kings. But this is incorrect. They are placed to honor Virgin Mary and the Immaculate Conception. Each region has infinite spaces in which converge the art, creativity, music and traditions that, for years, have built an imaginary about how the Carnivals, parades and festivals, among other cultural events take place every year in Colombia. Colombia has 19 holidays (12 Catholic holidays and 7 Civic holidays), plus Palm and Easter Sunday. (You may also enjoy: How to play Colombia’s favorite childhood games) Photo: Ginny. BTW, it’s true that Ash Wednesday falls before Holy (Maundy) Thursday, but not the day before. Many small businesses shut down but the malls and movie theaters will be open. All countries except for Israel that use the Gregorian calendar celebrate New Year’s Day on January 1st. The Assumption of Mary was first celebrated under Pope Sergius I in the 8th century and Pope Leo IV confirmed the feast as official. Ascension Day is the celebration of Jesus rising into heaven after he had spent 40 days on earth after the resurrection. The most typical Colombian Christmas traditions include eating natilla (a custard dish resembling a flan) and buñuelos (fried dough balls) and attending a Novena de Aguinaldos , when families come together to eat, sing carols ( villancicos ) and recite a set of prayers. Día de las Velitas dates back to December 7, 1854, when Pope Pius IX defined as dogma the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary, which was published in his Apostolic constitution, Ineffabilis Deus. In El Saladito, outside of Cali a costumed parade of local folks called La Murga winds it’s way to all of the homes. Medellin Guru Annual Subscriptions – Now Offering a Discount! One of our most cherished exchanges was the “Women, Peace and Security” program in February 2020, in which we had the opportunity to celebrate these amazing women: Holiday Traditions Around the World – Colombia, « Holiday Traditions Around the World – St. Nicholas Day, Holiday Traditions Around the World – Hanukkah », https://medellinguru.com/dia-de-las-velitas/, Day of the Little Candles: a Colombian Christmas tradition, California Commission on the Status of Women and Girls. what is there santa???? Notify me of follow-up comments by email. While there was “discovery” the reality is more grim. Colombia has some totally unique Christmas traditions and festivals, so here are some of … Little Candles Day (Spanish: Día de las velitas) is a widely observed traditional holiday in Colombia. While only two of these days are considered national public holidays and two days are on the weekend, it has become traditional for many smaller businesses in Colombia to close for this entire week. This holiday in Colombia is celebrated every year on August 7. 18 Oct Mon Columbus Day Holiday Christmas is more of a month-long celebration in Colombia than just a day. Thanks Jeff read earlier, then got busy. On December 8 it is typical for houses in Colombia to hoist a white flag with the image of the Virgin Mary. Noche de las Velitas is a celebration that takes places every year on the evening of December 7th, leading up to the Feast of the Immaculate Conception on December 8th, a Catholic holiday and national holiday in Colombia. This day commemorates Mary’s death and her assumption into heaven. We have a separate guide to Semana Santa in Colombia on this website. It seems there are holidays every time I need to go to the bank. Learn all about Colombian traditions and use some of them when celebrating this wonderful time of the year. Christmas Day celebrates the nativity of Jesus, which according to tradition took place on December 25, 1 BC. Since Colombia is about 90% Roman Catholic, the Christian aspects of Christmas are the most celebrated. Independence of Cartagena in 2021 is celebrated on Monday, November 15. For many Colombia holidays, if they fall on a weekend or in the middle of the week, the holiday date is moved to the following Monday. This is a day that is celebrated in many parts of Latin America and the Caribbean. Great post, sorry that was years ago I was sailing much of PR. 8 Dec Wed Immaculate Conception The pre-carnival stage begins on 28th December from which time there are widespread impromptu water fights throughout the city. The Colombian carnival has incorporated elements from European culture as well as traditions that belonged to the African and Amerindian cultures of Colombia. I think they celebrate every holiday on the planet. For example, Día de Amor y Amistad (Valentine’s Day of Colombia) falls on September 18 in 2021. Schools are also closed during this week. Love this article. Sign up for the Free Medellin Guru Newsletter – You can see all of the previous Medellin Guru weekly email newsletters and sign up here. Liked it? For example in 2015, WIN/Gallup ranked Colombia the happiest country in the world. We just updated with information from a reliable source in Colombia. Also, the government declares public holidays in Colombia on these occasions. Sometimes more is better. It is celebrated on December 7 on the eve of the Immaculate Conception, which is a public holiday in Colombia. Twelve of these are religious based celebrations, such as Easter, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Christmas Day. Offices and homes are decorated with lanterns and candles that welcome the holiday season. Larger grocery stores tend to be open and many shops in the malls and movie theaters will be open on Colombia holidays. Thank you Jeff–Great article & very useful info. Required fields are marked *. | Contact | Editorial Policy | In addition, there are many observed holidays that aren’t official holidays. Thanks again Jeff. Sometimes it seems like the celebrations are nonstop in Colombia. There are so many holidays that most Colombians don't even know what most holidays are for. The Immaculate Conception is one of the most important Marian feasts of the Roman Catholic Church. A few more holiday traditions in Colombia: – La Feria de Cali starts after Christmas with bullfights and partying – December 28 is El Día de los Inocentes – similar to April Fools Day. They celebrate all national and traditional events very warmly. In addition, having many Colombian holidays is probably one of the reasons why Colombia tends to rank highly in global happiness surveys over the past few years. Ash Wednesday solemnly marks the beginning of the lenten season. We have friends coming that week–I’m concerned this will it affect their visit. In anticipation of this decision, people lit candles and paper lanterns to show their support of Pope Pius IX. Also, many of the dates for Colombian holidays change each year. It should be noted that many in Colombia take this entire Semana Santa week off. Several of the public holidays in Colombia in 2021 fall on a Monday. My Colombian friends also never seem to know what is the reason for many of the holidays. We have summarized the Colombian public holidays for 2021 and 2021. All workers, both in the public and private sectors, have the right to paid for holidays. Also, I previously included Colombia having more holidays than the U.S. as one of 27 Reasons I Chose to Live in Medellín. 15 Nov Mon Independence of Cartagena Holiday Hi David, thanks. Thank you for the information! Does Colombia Require a COVID-19 Test for International Travelers? However, Samana Santa in 2021 may be different than past years with no Semana Santa processions and without Masses in churches due to the coronavirus pandemic  Parishioners in 2020 were asked to stay home during this week in Colombia due to the quarantine. Fireworks in Medellín on July 20, 2010 as part of Colombia Bicentennial Independence Day celebration, photo by Danial Echeverri. Editors note: completely updated on December 25, 2019 with the dates for the Colombia holidays in 2020. In 2010, images of Peter and Paul were found on the wall of catacombs dating back to the 4th Century AD. Feasts of the 18 holidays in a big way each year that it would be in Colombian as. New year ’ s very typical that colombian holiday traditions will be open ranked Colombia the happiest country the! Holidays, ascension Day is a public holiday in many cases, employment contracts provide with! 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