Today is Little Candles Day, Día de las velitas in Spanish, a widely observed religious holiday in Colombia.
It is celebrated on this day, December 7, on the eve of the Immaculate Conception, a public holiday, as well as 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.
Traditionally, on this night, people place candles and paper lanterns on windowsills, balconies, porches, sidewalks, streets, parks, squares, and everywhere they can be seen, in honor of the Virgin Mary and her Immaculate Conception.
On December 8 it is not allowed to work and it is customary for houses to hoist a white flag with the image of the Virgin Mary all day, but they also hold numerous events, from fireworks shows to competitions.
The celebration dates to December 7, 1854, when Pope Pius IX defined as dogma the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary, published in his Apostolic constitution Ineffabilis Deus.
In anticipation of this decision, people lit candles and paper lanterns to show their support and belief.
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.
Some places celebrate the night of the little candles several nights before December 8, particularly in the Paisa region, and this is believed to derive from a hanukkah tradition since a large number of paisas are from Jewish descent.
El Día de las Velitas is celebrated throughout Colombia, but traditions vary in each region and city.
For example, in the municipality of Quimbaya, in Quindío Department the most important cultural event is the Fiesta Nacional del Concurso de Alumbrados con Velas y Faroles, literally “Candles and Lanterns Festival”, began in 1982 and held each year on 7 and 8 December.
Each of the neighborhoods competes to produce the most spectacular lighting arrangements, and many visitors come from throughout the country to admire the displays.
“El puma de navidad”, or Quimbayan Christmas Panther is an indigenous figure recognized by native and mestizo communities in the Quindío Department.
Belief in the Christmas Panther has developed throughout the history of the Quimbayan holiday known as the Alumbrado de Navidad, our Feast of the Immaculate Conception, celebrated on the 7th of December in recognition of the Roman Catholic belief in the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
It is believed that the significance of the puma stems from the arrival of ethnically Spanish colonialists from Antioquia in the region during the 1850s.
The colonialist’s Catholic traditions of using candlelight to celebrate the Immaculate Conception was combined with the belief of the local Quimbaya tribe in the effect that fire, or luces de fogota, had in protecting against panther attacks as pumas and other local faunas are believed to fear fire.
Thus, in an instance of religious syncretism, the Alumbrado de Navidad and the symbolism of the puma to native peoples were linked.
Not by chance, It is still a common occurrence to display the symbol of the panther in the form of sculptures made of terra cotta, cloth, plastic and more, in conjunction with the lighting of candles on the night of December 7th.
In Bogotá, the Christmas decorations reach their peak on this day.
The city, fully decorated, plans late activities for the whole family since most Colombians would be out and about admiring the shows, many streets close to traffic and allow pedestrians to walk freely and stop to admire the light arrangements.
Moreover malls, museums, stores, and other public places have extended hours of operation, a there are many shows that take place on this night, live nativity scenes, caroling events, among others.
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, with devout Catholics who wake up before sunrise and light candles with their family members.
Many people even 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.
In Cali, Valle del Cauca people also walk along the Cali River which is illuminated for the season.
Images from web – Google Research