Day of the Little Candles
Día de las velitas Little Candles Day or Immaculate Conception Eve | |
---|---|
Official name | Day of the Immaculate Conception |
Observed by | Colombia |
Type | State and religious |
Celebrations | Lighting of candles and lanterns |
Observances | Various religious processions |
Begins | Sundown December 7 |
Ends | Sunrise December 8 |
Date | December 7 |
Next time | 7 December 2024 |
Frequency | annual |
Related to | Christmas in Colombia |
Little Candles Day or Immaculate Conception Eve (Spanish: Día de las velitas) is a widely observed religious holiday in Colombia. It is celebrated on December 7 on the eve of the Immaculate Conception, which is a public holiday in Colombia. This day is the unofficial start of the Christmas season in the country, although the official day is the First Advent Sunday (between November 27th and December 3rd).[1]
On this night, people place
Background
The celebration of the Night of the Little Candles dates to December 7, 1854, when
In Colombia, as in many places all over the world, this announcement was observed by lighting candles. The Catholic Church of Colombia kept alive the celebration and made an annual tradition of lighting candles the night of December 7.[2]
Some places celebrate the night of the little candles several nights before December 8, particularly in the Paisa region. This is believed to derive from a hanukkah tradition[3] since a large number of paisas are from Jewish descent[citation needed].
Traditions
El Día de las Velitas is celebrated throughout Colombia, but traditions vary in each region and city.
In the municipality of Quimbaya, in Quindío Department the most important cultural event is the Candles and Lanterns Festival (full name in Spanish: Fiesta Nacional del Concurso de Alumbrados con Velas y Faroles), which began in 1982 and is held each year on 7 and 8 December. Each of the neighborhoods in the township competes to produce the most spectacular lighting arrangements, and many visitors come from throughout Colombia to admire the displays.
The
In
In the Caribbean region of Colombia, the lighting of candles and lanterns takes place in the early hours of December 8, before sunrise, instead of the night before. Devout Catholics wake up before sunrise and light candles with their family members. Many people decide to stay up all night and party in celebration and light the candles sometimes before they retreat to bed. Families meet to celebrate the day and along with lighting the candles, there is abundant food and drinks. An evening that brings extended families groups together to talk during the evening.
In Cali, Valle del Cauca people also walk along the Cali River which is illuminated for the season.
See also
References
- ^ "Con Las Velitas Se Prende La Navidad". El Tiempo (in Spanish). 6 December 2003. Retrieved 25 November 2008.
- ^ Guarín Claudia Toro, Lina. "Una fiesta alrededor de la luz" (in Spanish). El Colombiano. Retrieved 6 December 2011.
- ^ "Cripto-Judios de Colombia". 3 July 2011.
Cruz, J. M. (2014). Colombia. In The Histories of the Latin American Church: A Handbook (pp. 244). 1517 Media. https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctt9m0t2k.16