Fake
Christmas trees, life-sized reindeer, and ornate nativity scenes have stocked
the aisles at Homecenter since October. The parks in Bogota have been decorated
with giant snowflakes and disco balls for more than a month. There’s even a fake bunny
slope in the mall where children can zip line to the bottom.
But,
according to my Colombian friends, the past couple months have only been
preparation for the real Christmas season, which didn’t officially start until
this past Friday, on Día de las velitas.
Translating
to “Day of the Candles,” Día de las velitas is one of the most observed
holidays in Colombia. It’s the eve of the Immaculate Conception, which is the
day Catholics believe the Virgin Mary was conceived and kept free of original
sin. To honor Mary, people place candles and paper lanterns on their balconies,
windowsills, and in parks and squares.
Here
are some pictures from what was going on in Parque Virrey and Parque 93:
Like most Colombian holidays, it was a family celebration, full of warmth and happiness. And despite not being Catholic, the day of candles brought a smile to my face, and made it feel like Christmas.
