Little Candles Day (Spanish: Día de las velitas) is a widely observed traditional holiday in Colombia. It is celebrated on December 7 on the eve of the Immaculate Conception, which is a public holiday in Colombia….Day of the Little Candles.

• Carnaval del Diablo. The town of Rio Sucio hosts the Carnaval del Diablo (Festival of the Devil) on odd numbered years biannually, in a party to ward off sadness.
• Carnaval de Negros y Blancos.
• Barranquilla Carnival.
• Santa Semanta.
• Bogota International Book Fair.
• Festival of the Flowers.
• Day of the Candles.
• Christmas.

Public holidays in Colombia

• Año Nuevo / (New Year’s Day) (January 1)
• Día de los Reyes Magos / (Epiphany) (January 6th)
• Día de San José / (Saint Joseph’s Day) (March 19)
• Jueves Santo / (Maundy Thursday) (Thursday before Easter Sunday, variable dates in March or April)

Semana Santa, or Holy Week, is an especially important celebration in Colombia. Other holidays celebrate important dates in Colombia’s history and independence. January and June have the most holidays, at three per month.

Bambuco National Folk Festival
The Bambuco National Folk Festival, held in Neiva each June, began as a 10-day rural feast honoring St. John the Baptist. Today, it celebrates Colombia’s bambuco style of music and dance with performances, parades and a beauty pageant [source: ProExport].

The most typical Colombian Christmas traditions include eating natilla (a custard dish resembling a flan) and buñuelos (fried dough balls) and attending a Novena de Aguinaldos, when families come together to eat, sing carols (villancicos) and recite a set of prayers.

This makes Colombia one of the most festive countries on the planet to live in! Most holidays are celebrated on the Monday following if they fall on anything but a Monday or a Friday. Thus, Ascension Day is almost always observed in Colombia on a Monday instead of on a Thursday as in other countries.

It is a day off for the general population, and schools and most businesses are closed. Good Friday commemorates Jesus’ death on the cross.

In Colombia, families celebrate with a hearty stew made from codfish, spinach and chickpeas. Originating from Spain, Potaje de la Vigilia – translating to “fasting soup” – follows the tradition of abstaining from red meat during this period, and is usually served on Good Friday.

The Flowers Festival (Spanish: Feria de las Flores) is a festival that takes place in Medellín, Colombia. The festival is the most important social event for the city and includes a pageant, automobiles, a Paso Fino horse parade and many musical concerts.

It is celebrated on December 7 on the eve of the Immaculate Conception, which is a public holiday in Colombia. On December 8 it is customary for houses to hoist a white flag with the image of the Virgin Mary all day. They also hold numerous events, from firework shows to competitions.

Today marks the Day of the Little Candles, or Día de las Velitas, celebrated in Colombia each year on the eve of the Immaculate Conception. Candles ranging from colored and white votives to thick pillars are arranged inside and out of buildings, along with paper lanterns and even some electric light displays.

Colombia has an enviable calendar of 18 public holidays per year. Twelve of these are religious based celebrations, such as Easter, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Christmas Day. The rest are civic holidays, like Independence Day (July 20), the Battle of Boyacá (August 7), and Labor Day (May 1).

Spending New Years With Family. Lots of cultures around the world go out and party on New Years, but Colombians spend new years with family eating a big Eating 12 Grapes At Midnight. Supposedly, the tradition of eating 12 is connected to the 12 times the church bells ring at midnight. Wearing Yellow Underwear To Ring in the New Year.

Public and National Holidays for Colombia, South America, in the year 2019 New Year’s Day is on Tuesday, 01 January 2019 Epiphany Holiday is on Monday, 07 January 2019 St Joseph’s Day is on Monday, 25 March 2019 Maundy Thursday is on Thursday, 18 April 2019

Independence Day is celebrated with parades and marches throughout Colombia. Watching sports and listening to traditional folk music are popular activities. Llorente’s house in Bogota, the scene of the flowerpot incident is now the ’20 July Museum’ and a popular place to visit on July 20th.