We have been in Medellin for three months. Since we arrived in October, we have been excited about Christmas in Medellin because Colombians celebrate Christmas in a big way.

This will be our first major holiday in Colombia; and in fact, this will be our very first holiday in a foreign country.

For weeks we have heard about the Christmas traditions here and the month of activities that start on November 30 and don’t end until early January.

La Alborado

Paisas (people of Medellin) welcome the beginning of December with fireworks. Not like the 15-30 minute fireworks that take place in the U.S. on New Year’s Eve or the 4^th of July. These fireworks are no-holds-barred fireworks with gunpowder, firecrackers and smoke that fill the sky starting at midnight on December 1^st. The celebration is not sanctioned by the city or sponsored by any company or organization. In fact, the city imposes fines on people caught with fireworks. But that doesn’t seem to stop anybody. Individuals and small groups celebrate the beginning of December with a big bang. It’s a night to remember because the skies are filled with fireworks the entire night until early morning.

So, if you like fireworks, this is a night for you…. If not, well it can be a very long night. We were warned about the fireworks, so I was a little nervous about not sleeping all night because of the noise. But luckily for us, our neighborhood did not have much going on. Fireworks are most popular in the older, less affluent neighborhoods and up in the hills. We watched the fireworks from our balcony and they sounded like guns in a war zone.

Photo Courtesy of : Yo Amo

El Alumbrado

One of the biggest events of the year in Medellin is the Christmas Lights Celebration. I thought that Colombians liked fireworks, but they are even more obsessed with Christmas lights. This year, Medellin will display an estimated 26 million lights throughout the city. And, that number is down from last year’s 37 million lights.

The Christmas light displays are designed, created and sponsored each year by “Empresas Públicas de Medellín” (EPM), the local utility company. Medellin has been ranked one of the top 5 cities in the world for the number of Christmas lights and displays. The lights and displays are placed in parks throughout the city and at each location there are activities for kids, food, music and, in some places, theater.

In addition to the lights created by EPM, many neighborhoods, municipalities, malls and corporations display lights. In the park near our apartment, a large company, Comfama, created a small winter paradise (although the daily temperature here is a balmy 80 degrees). Next to this winter scene, the city of Medellin constructed a huge stage for the Medellin Symphony and the Medellin Ballet Company to perform the entire Nutcracker Suite. In addition to a top-notch stage, there were lights, displays, cameras on booms and large video displays of the production. The performance was outside, free and open to everyone.

El Noche de las Velitas 

El Noche de las Velitas (The Night of the Little Candles) is a beautiful traditional celebration of the Immaculate Conception on December 7^th. Candles are lit to signify a path for the Virgin Mary to bring good wishes for the new year and to provide thanks to the virgin Mary for the blessings of the year.

On this night, families and friends come together to light candles, share food, and reflect on the year and the year to come. They are displayed throughout the night on streets, sidewalks, in front of houses and in neighborhood parks.

Las Novenas

Colombians are very religious and approximately 92% of the population is Catholic. We found elaborate nativity scenes of all sizes in homes, churches, shopping malls, public parks and squares throughout Medellin.

Novena means ninth. So, nine days before Christmas (starting December 16), families and friends gather around the nativity to pray and sing each day until the 24^th of December. In fact, Colombians don’t really begin singing Christmas carols (villancicos) until the 16^th.

For Colombians, as in most Latin American Countries, the Christmas celebration takes place on Christmas Eve. Christmas Day is usually a day of rest from the celebration on the 24^th. In these Latin countries, Santa Clause does not bring gifts to children. Although in the last few years Santa Claus has become more popular, baby Jesus brings gifts to children at midnight on December 24.

Christmas is spent with families and friends as is in the United States. Many Colombians leave the cities and relax with their families in fincas (country houses) in nearby small towns. We are told that Medellin will be quiet the last two weeks of December.

Our Reflections

Kathy and I spent several nights witnessing the lighting of the candles, Christmas lights, nativity scenes, music, theater, and great food. We were fortunate to be guided to various locations by Angela, a Paisa whom we met several weeks ago and our own private taxi driver, Javier (Angela’s brother-in-law). She took the time to show us a part of Medellin we would never have seen on our own. Like so many others in Medellin, Angela is very friendly and proud of her city and went out of her way to show it to us.

We were amazed by the lights at each park and plaza we visited. It was impossible not to feel the Christmas spirit while seeing families, friends and neighbors coming together to share food, drink and wishes for a Merry Christmas and prosperous new year.