photo by laloking97 (via Creative Commons)
The holiday season is a great time to go on your Colombian adventure. Whether you’re religious or more spiritual, this beautiful country has traditions that will touch your heart during this wonderful time of year. One such tradition is El Día de las Velitas - The Day of the Little Candles. During this special day on December 7, loved ones and strangers alike come together to light candles which signify their hopes, dreams and wishes for the upcoming year. And although it started off as a religious holiday, it has since grown and expanded to become a Colombian cultural event that signifies love, family and friendship.
photo by Peter Becker (via Flickr)
Christmas Season Kicks Off
Originally starting off as a Catholic holiday, El Dia de las Velitas originated with Pope Pius IX in 1854 and signifies the feast of the immaculate conception of Virgin Mary. On the eve of December 8, Catholics all over the world celebrate this feast and those in Colombia light candles in homage and respect.
Fast forward to modern times and El Dia de las Velitas has become the official kick-off holiday to the Christmas season as well as a day of wishes where each candle represents a wish. As such, on the very same night, onlookers can see locals congregate in parks, public areas and sidewalks placing multicolored paper lanterns and various candles outside and saying their wishes into the night.
As time went on the holiday has lost some religious connotation and has instead become a symbol for gathering with loved ones and wishing each other good luck for the upcoming year.
photo by laloking97 (via Creative Commons)
Modern Day Traditions
Children and adults alike love The Day of the Little Candles because it is one of the rare times during the year where they can play with fire. For instance, parents will hand a lighter to their eldest child and allow the children to have the honour of lighting the candles.
Adults get a similar rush through a cultural game called Candelada del Diablo. Young people and adults create contraptions out of wire, bottle caps and candle wax to create a small fire. Then, once the wax is hot and boiling, party-goers take turns spitting into the hot wax which instantly grows the fire. Definitely not for the faint of heart, the most common “side effects” of partaking in this game are the loss of facial hair and eyebrows (as they’re burned off) or varying degrees of facial burns (if you get too close to the fire).
A Must See Colombian Event
So whether you’re raring to partake in your first Candelada del Diablo experience or meet with the locals and light candles together for good luck, there’s no better place to be on December 7 than Colombia. So make sure to book your Colombian holiday adventure soon and get ready to make some new friends.