Light up your Christmas. The most illuminated night in Colombia.

Sep 9, 2022 | Culture

The night of the candles, a Colombian tradition

Por: Camila Garcia Voelkl.

In many cultures, Christmas season is characterized by its lights. We light up the tree, we decorate the houses with colored lights and the cities illuminate their streets and main squares. In Colombia, there is a beautiful tradition where the Christmas lights take center stage and it is known as the night of the candles.

How was this tradition born?

Colombia is a country with very strong Catholic roots. The Catholic Church celebrates the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin on December 8, where it is remembered that the Virgin Mary was sinless (immaculate) from her conception. In 1854, colonial times, the tradition of celebrating the Virgin with candles to illuminate her path was consolidated in Colombia. “According to certain theologians, such as Álvaro Rodríguez Vásquez, the night of the candles means the illumination that God made in the Virgin and her acceptance of that divine process”1

Although this celebration is of religious origin, for Colombians it also has a big family and cultural connotation.

The brightest night.

The night of the candles begins on the night of December 7 and the early morning of December 8 when family and friends gather to light up their houses, streets and squares with lanterns, candles and colored gunpowder, in the midst of a festive atmosphere. In some cities like Medellín and Barranquilla, the lights are also placed on the riverbank.

Photo by: http://asomecosafro.com.co/

It is perhaps the brightest night of the year in Colombia and the beginning of a month of festivities. It is a tradition full of joy. Each candle is lit with an intention of gratitude for the good things of the current year and with the best wishes for the coming year. For others it is a way to remember loved ones who are no longer with them. For the vast majority, one more reason to share a moment of joy with the family.

Foto por: Cristian Mercado https://zonacero.com/

Join the tradition.

The night of the candles is a reason to share and spend time together. For the little ones, the lights fill the moment with magic and become unforgettable moments of the season. The tradition is not limited to the night. It starts with making handmade lanterns at home using colored paper and decorating them with Christmas motifs. The tradition is to use wax candles and gather around the candles, telling stories and sharing something to eat while watching the candles burn little by little. However, for safety reasons with small children, you can also use LED lights.

How to make a lantern at home:

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The day of the dead

Oct 30, 2021 | Culture, mexico

The day of the dead in LatinAmerican countries

Por: Camila Garcia Voelkl.

The celebration of the Day of the Dead has become a popular holiday in many countries. The colorful images of catrinas and skeletons are becoming popular as a symbol of Latino culture.

But before launching into the celebration, wearing catrina dresses and makeup, it is important that we understand what exactly this tradition and its beauty is about.

A few years ago, my concept of death was dark, sad, and scary. Seeing a skull image was negative and loved ones who had already died were remembered with great sadness. When I learned about this tradition a few years ago (in my country Colombia is not celebrated and was not popular at the time), I was not sure that I would like to create altars or decorating my house with skulls to teach my kids the tradition, since my husband is from Mexico. I had to first understand fully what the tradition meant and see the reasons for the celebration, to later realize its beauty and how important it can be to see life from another angle.

Despite being known as a celebration of the Dead, it really is a celebration of life. It is a time of joy, where families honor and lovingly remember people who have already passed away. Teach children that the cycle of life does not end in death, because if you remember your loved ones, they will always be with us.

The celebration of the Day of the Dead has a long history in the Mexican Tradition and has been named Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by Unesco. It is celebrated every November 1, a period that also marks the culmination of the annual growing cycle of corn in Mexico, the predominant food crop in the country. Although marked throughout Latin America, the Day of the Dead is most strongly associated with Mexico, where the tradition began. The fusion of pre-Hispanic religious rites and Catholic holidays (the Day of the Dead is celebrated on All Saints’ Day and the Day of the Dead, minor holidays in the Catholic calendar) brings together two universes, one marked by indigenous belief systems, the other by traditions introduced by Europeans in the 16th century. The celebration as we know it (or as we normally see it in books or in the movie “coco”) is traditional in Mexico. However, other countries like Guatemala, Ecuador, Bolivia, and Peru also have their own traditions.

Mexican Celebration

Mexicans have a tradition to celebrate the lives of those who have died, bringing them food, drinks and music that people enjoyed in life. Many of the celebrations take place directly in cemeteries, (pantheons), when the family goes and visits the grave of their loved ones and brings them what they liked the most. The pantheon goes from being a gloomy place to becoming a space for party and celebration.

It is also a tradition to place altars in houses. Altars, or also known as offerings, is a place to display portraits, place favorite foods, and special possessions of loved ones. The altars are also decorated with candles and marigolds; candlelight and the scent of flowers (called cempasuchitl) are said to attract the souls of the deceased for a short time to partake of the pleasures they once enjoyed in life.

The most familiar symbol of the Day of the Dead are calacas y calaveras (skeletons and skulls), which appear everywhere during the holiday: in candied sweets, parade masks, dolls, etc. Calacas and skulls are always portrayed as enjoying life, often wearing fancy clothes, flower headbands, and even funny poses.

The bread of the dead is an important element of the offering and is much loved and enjoyed during this holiday.

Imagen: Guatemala.com

Imagen: Universal.com

Celebrations in other Latino countries.

Little is known to the world about the traditions of the Day of the Dead in other Latin American countries.

Guatemala, for example, also has a tradition of visiting cemeteries accompanied by food and drinks enjoyed by the dead. In Santiago and Sumpángo Sacatepéquez the flight of giant kites is one of the most admired shows of this day. The fundamental objective of this ritual is religious and cultural, since the inhabitants consider it a communication link with the loved ones who are deceased, during the celebration the souls of the deceased visit the earth and the kites act as messengers, and that at each rope pull a message of peace and well-being is sent, until the spirit of the deceased is raised together with the kite. This tradition was declared a cultural heritage of Guatemala on October 30, 1998.

In Ecuador they usually make bread rolls in the shape of humans, which they call guaguas. These muffins are a symbolism that represents those who have already passed away. The bread is usually accompanied with a drink of purple corn and fruits, known as colada morada.

Bolivia shares a tradition very similar to that of Ecuador. They have the tradition of making loaves in the shape of little people, which they call tantawawas. As in Mexico, they also usually place altars or tables which they also call apxatas and which they decorate with flowers, candles, and food.

What other traditions do you know about this day? How do you usually celebrate it in your family?

Remember that talking about cultural traditions with your children is a great way to introduce them to other cultures and learn to respect them. Talking about the traditions of your own country is a great way to teach them to embrace their roots and feel part of them.

Here I share this very nice video about the Day of the Dead in Mexico. Ideal for teaching tradition to the little ones.

This is a cute and short video, made especially for children. There are no words, only music.

The film won the gold medal at the 2013 Student Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film.

Live and share your culture

If you found this post useful, help me to continue sharing our traditions!

Cooking Arepas with Choko

Sep 20, 2021 | Choko, Culture

Colombian and Venezuelan Arepas Recipe.

Por: Camila Garcia Voelkl.

“Arepas” are cornmeal round and flat cakes that originated hundreds of years ago in Colombia and Venezuela. It is a typical meal that is cooked on a rack, pan-fried or baked. They can be served as bread or use them for sandwiches with fillings such as cheese, beans, chicken, meat, veggies or many other options.

At home, my kids love arepas at breakfast, snack or even dinner. They love how versatile they are and how they can be combined with their favorite toppings. As a Colombian, I love to see them eat their arepas with such taste and pride.

My husband is Mexican, and he likes his arepa alongside some good beans, hot sauce, and avocado. My oldest daughter loves to top it with guacamole and my youngest loves it with hummus. I personally prefer it plain or stuffed with cheese!

It does not matter with which you accompany it or fill it, the arepa goes well with everything.

One of the things I like the most about this recipe is how easy it is to prepare, and it has allowed my daughters to join while cooking and share as a family, especially my youngest daughter, who is currently 6, loves to make the dough and form the arepitas using a tortillera (exactly, we do not have arepera, but we do have tortillera and they work the same).

Here is the recipe and if you make it at home, I would love to see you in action or the result. You can share your experience on Facebook or Instagram with the hashtag #arepasamigobilingue

Colombian and Venezuelan Arepas – Recipe

Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 10 mins
Total: 20 mins
Yield: 6 arepas

INGREDIENTS

2 cups of corn flour
2 cups of water
Pinch of salt
Avocado or olive oil (Spray)

*optional: 1 cup of mozzarella grated cheese. If added, the recipe is not dairy free anymore unless you use a plant based type of cheese.

Mix water, corn meal, mozzarella cheese (optional), PINCH oF salt together in a large bowl. Knead until mixed well and the dough has a soft consistency.

Form balls the size of a medium orange and shape them as a semi flat circle or place them between 2 sheets of plastic wrap and Flatten with a rolling pin to your desired thickness.

Coat a griddle or frying panwith cooking oil spray and heat to medium-high. Add arepas and grill until golden brown, about 5 minutes per side. Serve immediately.

Arepas have a mild flavor so they go well with almost everything. You can try using two flat Arepas or one opened in half and filled it with your choice of shredded chicken, meat, vegetables, chesses, beans, hummus and much more.

Similar to arepas are the mexican “gorditas” and the salvadorian “pupusas”. They are also round flat corn cakes Gorditas are puffed up when fried in oil, forming an air pocket which is later filled. Pupusas are flatter and made with a corn flour stronger in flavor than the one used for arepas.

AT HOME

You can download, print and share the recipe with family and friends. Here is a PDF for you to keep. Available in English and Spanish!

PDF Download

Patroness of the Americas: Our lady of Guadalupe, take care of me.

May 14, 2021 | Culture, Education, mexico

Our lady of Guadalupe.

Por: Camila Garcia Voelkl.

When we talk about Mexican culture, we cannot fail to mention the Lady of Guadalupe who is not just a religious icon, but is rooted in their history and identity. The Guadalupana is present in all the traditions, music, art and history of Mexico and it is easy to find her image in various parts of the city and in most homes.

Our Lady of Guadalupe appeared between December 9 and 12, 1531, on the Mount of Tepeyac, in front of an Indian named Juan Diego and asked him to go to the bishop to ask him to build a temple there.

Juan Diego spoke with the bishop and told him what had happened, who, incredulous, asked him for proof of the virgin’s appearance. In the second apparition, the Virgin asks Juan Diego to return the next day and she will give him a sign, however, the next day, Juan Diego cannot go because his uncle Bernardino was very ill and had to look for a doctor. In the early morning of December 12, Juan Diego hurried off to find a priest for his uncle because he was dying and he avoided passing where he always met the Virgin. Suddenly the Virgin Mary came out to meet him and he said that he should not worry about his uncle, because he was already healthy but that he should go up to the top of the hill and there he would give him the signal.

At the summit Juan Diego found several fresh Castilian roses, which was very rare since they were in winter and the roses did not grow at that time. Juan Diego cut them and put them in his Tilma to take them to the bishop.

When Juan Diego unfolded the Tilda (his blanket) to show the bishop, the image of who today is known as the Virgin of Guadalupe was painted on the tilma.

What day is the Virgin celebrated?

December 12, the last day that the Virgin appeared to Juan Diego, was chosen as the day of the Virgin of Guadalupe. At dawn, Mexicans honor the Virgin with a serenade, singing las mañanitas to her and visiting the Basilica of Guadalupe in Mexico City. Although the celebration began in Mexico, it is also celebrated in other countries of the world such as the Philippines or the United States. In the city of Chicago, the second largest Guadalupana festival takes place after Mexico City.