Christmas in Colombia.

CHRISTMAS IN COLOMBIA.

By: Juan David Muñoz Jurado.

Colombian Christmas or “Navidad Colombiana” starts on December 7th by celebrating “El Día de las Velitas” or “The day of the candles” which is an important day when the Colombian people welcome Christmas; when the dusk arrive people go outside their homes and start lighting candles everywhere, making long lines of light, illuminating the front of homes and the city.

There are many kinds of typical food that Colombian people eat during this day like “buñuelos” or fritters, “empanadas” which are fried dough stuffed with potatoes and meat or grilled meats “Natilla” and “Biscuits” or “Galletas Navideñas”, “arepas” a thick corn mass. We drink rum and the famous “Aguardiente,” an anise drink that is pretty powerful.

 Then comes the time known as “La novena de Aguinaldos” which is the time we prepare to December 25^th, it starts on December 16; people get gathered in different places, so they sing “Villancicos” or “Christmas Carols” with their family members and friends, eating all kinds of Christmas food, the novena ends on December 24^th.

        

 

Every year it is a family tradition to make the “Nativity” or “Pesebre” all together, making it all around the Christmas tree, and it’s there where children leave their letter to “Baby Jesus” / “El niño Dios”, those letters “mysteriously” disappear, so the Baby Jesus will know what kind of present the children wants.

 

During the entire Christmas up to new year, firework display are common, which tends to make problems with the safety of .





 Medellin is known as the city which best decorate itself, the next picture is the Medellin river, the best place to visit on christmas time.