Today I want to share some of the Christmas and New Year's traditions that I grew up with in Colombia.
Like many people who left Colombia and have been in another country for a long time, I've lost touch with many of these wonderful traditions. Colombia is mostly a Catholic country, so most of the December celebrations are based around this religion.
El Día de las Velitas (The Day of the Candles): December 7th is when people light candles in front of their houses or on their balconies, in honor of the Virgin Mary and the Christmas lights are turned on for the first time.
Alumbrados Navideños (Christmas Lights): Every December, Colombian cities and towns are filled with wonderful decorations with lights. I was lucky to grew up in Medellín, where during the Christmas season, plazas, parks, rivers and streets, shine with the most colorful, beautiful and creative art, made with lights. I took rides with my friends or family to see these lights on a chiva, what literally translates goat, yet is a colorful and rustic open bus. There were drinks, loud music and we would sing our favorite songs throughout the ride around the city, while looking at the Alumbrados (Christmas lights).
(These beautiful pictures of Alumbrados in Medellín were taken by Camilo, a very good friend from Colombia. Thank you,Camilo!)
El árbol de Navidad (The Christmas Tree): This tree is usually located beside the nativity. We place gifts under the tree for family and friends which we give on December 16, when the Novena de Aguinaldos starts. Aguinaldo means Christmas gift in Spanish.
Las Novenas (Christmas Prayers): Novenas are daily prayers beginning nine days before Christmas, to prepare before the arrival of El Niño Jesus (the baby Jesus). We go from one relative’s home to another every night and gather around the pesebre (nativity) and have Christmas appetizers, pray and sing villancicos (Christmas carols), which we sing along with rattles we make of bottle caps passed through a wire. This was one of my favorite traditions.
Noche Buena (Christmas Eve Dinner): These festivities start late in the evening with family members gathering around a table filled with all our traditional Colombian Christmas foods. Our parties are full of joy, drinks, music and dancing. Children wait for el niño Jesus in Colombia to bring the gifts. While we knew about Santa Clause, he didn't come to Colombia 🙂
Traditiones para Fin de Año (New Year's Traditions): Some of the traditions for celebrating the New Year in Colombia may sound kind of crazy to people from other cultures, but many Colombians will be performing some of these traditions on December 31. Here is a list of a few such traditions and their translations, bearing in mind that I am in no way suggesting that you perform any of them! 😉
Las Uvas (The Grapes): Eat 12 grapes at midnight, each grape representing a month in the New Year, and make a wish every time a grape is eaten.
Champaña (Champagne): Champagne is poured all over the body at midnight for prosperity.
La Maleta (The Suitcase): Run around the block with an empty suitcase at midnight on December 31, and the New Year will be filled with travel.
Los Calzones Amarillos (The Yellow Underwear): Wear yellow underwear to have prosperity in the New Year.
Here are some traditional Christmas Colombian dishes, if you are looking for more recipes to make this holiday season check my post with 30 appetizers, desserts, drinks, main dishes and side dishes.
Natilla Colombiana (Colombia-Style Pudding)
Brevas Caladas (Colombian-Style Figs with Syrup)
Lechona Tolimense (Colombian-Style Stuffed Pork)
Cañon de cerdo (Colombian-Style Pork Loin Roast)
Pernil de Cerdo (Colombian Style Roasted Pork Leg)
Sabajón (Colombian-Style Eggnog)
Pavo Asado Navideño (Christmas Turkey)
Torta Negra Colombiana (Colombian Black Cake)
Ensalada Rusa (Russian Salad)
Chris
It is interesting seeing the various similarities and difference between cultures. Yellow undies for New Years, that's a new one for me, ha ha.
ava
we don't really do that but ok
Giovanna Pajon
Lol yea we do yellow red or theirs another color depending on what you need for the year
Angie@Angie's Recipes
Everything is so delicious! I love the fig the most!
rebecca
love this thanks for sharing and I love the suitcase tradition how cool
Linar
Do it, it really works.
Laura
I love this post, I showed it to my husband and he understood Colombian Christmas craziness a little bit better hehe, thank you.
StephenC
So nice to have a comment from you this morning. I'll watch your blog in return and hope for some revelations regarding S. American dishes.
sarah
I know right
Jenn and Seth
loved this post! all those dishes look sooooo delicious!
ava
you should try it ,it is trust me i am Colombian
Ali
Hello, first of all I absolutely love your site! I moved to Louisiana from Cali in 1994 when I was a little girl and seeing your recipes definitely helps to bring me back to my Colombian roots. I wanted to comment though because being from Colombia and also a strong Catholic, I just wanted to clarify that we don't worship Mary as you mentioned in your description of the Velitas tradition (a tradition which I love and miss!). Catholics venerate Our Lady and honor her as the mother of Jesus, asking her to pray for us and lead us closer to Him, however, we worship God alone and nothing/no one else. I don't mean to come off negative at all, I just wanted to clarify for whoever reads as this is a common misconception of Catholics. Thanks for sharing this post and merry Christmas to you and your family!
Anonymous
don't know what kind of colombian catholic you are but mother Mary like her son Jesus are adored no worship first "strong catholic" that don,t recognize mother Mary must be a new kind of catholic religion specially the day of "las velitas" for your info December 7 is the day of the Immaculate Conception, there for yes it is about Mother Mary and I from Cali
Marlene
Correction : Honoring is not worshiping .
We honor our mother and our father but we do not worship them . It’s one of the Ten Commandments!
Joanne
What delicious food traditions you guys have!
Lina
Hi, i love your site. It brings so many beautiful memories from Colombia. This is very nice and I remember every one of those wonderful traditions.I miss my country and you bring every memory back. Thanks!
Anonymous
My favorite part about the holidays is the traditions that I grew up with in Colombia. I love introducing my friends to these wonderful Colombian traditions
Parsley Sage
Oooh! Christmas in Colombia sounds so magical! And it looks very delicious 😉
grace
thanks for sharing these little tidbits about your traditions--i find it so fascinating!
Shelly
I am here in Bogota, and the Christmas lights are truly amazing! I've been here for four months and I am looking forward to learning how to cook Colombian style. Your website is filled with wonderful ideas, and I can't wait to try them out!
Feliz Navidad!
Anonymous
La Maleta (The Suitcase): Run around the block with an empty suitcase at midnight on December 31, and the New Year will be filled with travel.
I just love this one. Can you just picture people runing around...Lovely post and wishing you wonderful things for 2012. Feliz Navidad!
Norma-Platanos, Mangoes and Me!
La Maleta (The Suitcase): Run around the block with an empty suitcase at midnight on December 31, and the New Year will be filled with travel.
Can you just see everyone runing aroung with their maletas.
Deseandote muchas cosas lindas para el 2013!
Claudia
Thanks for the wonderful recipes. I spent one magical Christmas in Colombia when I was a child and remember it well. So much fun!! My mom has passed away and it's so nice to be able to make her wonderful dishes for my family, thanks to your recipes!
Pam
Erica,
Sigo tu blog cada dia! y me ENCANTAN tus recetas... pero te cuento que de todos los posts tuyos... ESTE ES MI FAVORITO! I am so sharing this on FB!
Lori
I enjoyed reading about your traditions so much! I love learning how holidays are celebrated around the world. I'm going to have my grapes ready for New Years and that year filled with travel definitely has my attention!
Luz Adriana
Erika tienes la receta de arroz con atun? No la encuentro!! Ayer recibi de Colombia 6 latas de atun en aceite de oliva!! Yo aqui no compro atun pues parece comida para gatos. Gracias de antemano.
Erica
Le voy a preguntar a mi mamá por la receta y te la pongo aqui.
Olga
I remember waiting at midnight for El Niño Dios to bring me my present!!!! Since I am from Bogota sometimes we had Ajiaco for dinner.
Velva
I know that you miss extended family and friends in Colombia. Glad you shared a few of your traditions with us. These are wonderful traditions and great food dishes to share during the Christmas holidays.
María M
Hey Erika, I am so happy to find your blog...you made me tears down when I read about Chiva! the music and the trips watching the lights... I have done it in Pereira, my city. Thanks so much to share your knowledge with us... it ll be my first Christmas far away from my lovely Colombia. Even my husband is so sweet and he is trying to make me feel happy, our traditions and essence is very difficult to replace. any way I ll try to make my Natilla and Buñuelos. 🙂 thanks and Merry Christmas for everybody who is enjoying of your blog!
bob job
what about the festival of the flowers
Erica Dinho
Es en Agosto!
Bill
I was uprooted from Colombia when I was fifteen, never to go back. This is the first time I see how much I have lost. Thanks for the memories!
Kit Garcia
My favorite tradition on New Years is the burning of the Ano Viejo. We stuff ours with all sorts of fireworks, which means that randomly through the event there is popping and small explosions in the fire. HAHAHA!!
Kara
Our oldest son was adopted from Colombia and we spent 2 months in his beautiful country. Even though our son has special needs, we still try to incorporate food and traditions into our life. I can't wait to share your site with our group of Colombian Adoptive Families. Thank you for the great resource!
Samantha
This is a really informative blog about Colombia. I am part Colombian and picked this country for my Christmas project.
Mala
I'm so happy to have found your blog! We will spend Christmas and New year's in and around medellin with my son who is studying there. He loves it. I know what I will give as a christmas presents this year - yellow underwear!
I can't wait to do some cooking using local products!
Alan Bowman
Feliz Navidad y prospero Año 2018 de españa
Adriana
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. In El Saladito, outside of Cali a costumed parade of local folks called La Murga winds it’s way to all of the homes.
Lina
Colombian here, you forgot to include Los aguinaldos - https://www.eltiempo.com/archivo/documento/CMS-4731680
Adriana
I have news for you, Santa Claus has been visiting Colombia since at least 1950! And Rudolph too! They had to be careful not to crash into Niño Dios while delivering packages to his half-Gringo half-Caleño fans! Milk and cookies, Hojaldras, tamales, eggnog and sabajon flowed like water!
Caroll Buitrago
There is nothing like Colombian Christmas, I do the candle night and novenas to keep the tradition with my kids and is really special although miss the nice weather and people celebrating.
Erika
I always loved the suitcase tradition! Grew up in New England but my family always had us run around the block with a suitcase (or chasing someone else's suitcase) right after midnight. The neighbors must have thought we were nuts!
Paula
Thank you Erika! This brings some many beautiful memories. Sending love to you and your family. Have a wonderful Holiday Season.
Erica Dinho
Thank you!
Iutzi Gartin
I remember the Novenas .. as kids it was so much fun to go to a different house every night. Thank you for your recipes, I have used many of them and changed them as I remember my mother making them.
Connie
Christmas is celebrated in Colombia around the "pesebre" or manger, and many families still pray the "Novena de Navidad" and sing Christmas carols between the 16th and the 24th of December. Baby Jesus (Niño Dios) brings presents, not Santa Clause. Well, in most homes.
It feels like Christmas beginning the night before the celebration of the Immaculate Conception, and it is called "Noche de las velitas" because we light candles to honour the Virgin Mary. We still keep our traditions even though you also see Santa Clause, lots of lights, and decorated Christmas trees everywhere.
And yes, we honour the Virgin Mary, we don't worship her. We worship God (Father, Son and Holy Spirit).
The New Year's Eve traditions are well described!
We must also mention we love to dance and dance and dance during Christmas and New Year's Eve.