There are few places in the world who go as all-out for Christmas as Colombia. The holiday is a month-long celebration, with food, family, and music at the center of it all. There’s really no other celebration quite like it in the world!
So if you’re looking for a unique place in South America to spend the holiday season, or you’re an expat living in Colombia, this guide is for you! Here I’ve shared everything you need to know about one of Colombia’s biggest celebrations of the year – from the weather conditions, to the religious traditions, to the can’t-miss foods! So if you’re looking for the best spots to celebrate Christmas in Colombia, you’re in the right place!
So grab a cup of canelazo (spiced cinnamon rum – yum!) and let’s get started!
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Colombia Quick Links
✈️ Flights – Use Kiwi.com or WayAway to find the cheapest and fastest flights to Colombia
🛏️ Accommodation – Find the best places to stay throughout Colombia on Booking.com
✅ Get Insured – I personally use Safety Wing Nomad Insurance for my travels all around the world! VisitorsCoverage is another great option.
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🗺️ Find Things to Do – Check out Get Your Guide or Viator for exciting adventures all around Colombia
☎ Buy a Sim – Airalo offers eSIMS for over 200 countries and regions
Spending more time in Colombia? Check out my full 3-week itinerary!
Colombian Christmas Video
I drove the Ruta Navideña over Christmas 2023 and made a video all about it! Check it out to learn more about some unique Colombian Christmas traditions.
Weather in Colombia in December
Due to Colombia’s location near the equator, weather does not change drastically throughout the year, but weather does vary by region.
The Andean Region is often home to the coldest weather year round, specifically the capital city of Bogota and the nearby department of Boyaca, often considered el capital del frío, or the capital of cold. In this region, average highs are around 20°C (66°F) with average lows around 8°C (45°F)
Colombia’s second-biggest city of Medellín is referred to as the city of eternal spring for its year-round temperate weather and sunshine. With December highs averaging around 27°C (80°F) and lows around 18°C (64°F) it’s a great place to visit if you’re looking for more mild weather. Plus, it has some of the best Christmas celebrations in the country (though more on that later!)
However, you could always opt for a Caribbean Christmas along Colombia’s Atlantic coast, like the colorful city of Cartagena or the islands of San Andres. Sunny and hot year round, it’s the perfect place to ring in the holidays on a beach with a cocktail in hand!
Important Christmas Celebrations
Christmas in Colombia is more than a one-day celebration, rather the entire month of December (and into January!) is chock-full of events leading up to the holiday. The Christmas season is quite family-centric, and the holiday itself and celebrations surrounding it have strong religious connotations throughout the country.
Here are a few celebrations to note leading up to Christmas in Colombia.
Noche de Velitas
Celebrated every year on December 7th, Noche de Velitas, or “night of the little candles,” is a country-wide celebration marking the beginning of the Christmas season.
As the sun sets, families and friends light candles and lanterns in the street in recognition of the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary. The celebration looks different throughout the country, oftentimes accompanied by parades and performances, or culminating in a fireworks celebration.
One of the most notable Noche de Velitas celebrations in the country takes place in the town of Quimbaya, known for its Lantern Festival. Families from around the department of Quindío gather to enter their lantern designs in the contest, filling the streets with light.
Novenas
The Novenas are a Catholic practice, though many Colombian families have made them a staple part of holiday tradition regardless of religious affiliation. The novenas are a series of prayers, practiced for nine days straight to count down the days before Christmas.
Like many holiday traditions, the novenas are centered around family and community, and families gather every night to practice the novenas together. The first part of the practice often consists of a reading. The prayer book is passed around the group, and the readings tell the story of the birth of Jesus.
Following the reading comes the gozos, or “The Joys,” which often consists of musical celebrations and plenty of holiday treats. Traditional Christmas Carols are often sung and families have the opportunity to gather in community together.
Nochebuena (Christmas Eve)
While you might associate Christmas with December 25th, Christmas Eve, or Nochebuena, is the big day of Christmas celebrations in Colombia.
On the evening of December 24th, families will gather together for holiday celebrations, which usually involve presents, music, and of course, traditional food! Many families celebrate potluck style, with each member contributing a dish, and families gather around the table for a Christmas feast. You’ll often find lechona – an entire stuffed suckling pig – as the centerpiece of the celebrations.
After dinner, the baby Jesus can finally become a part of the nativity displays, which also signifies it’s time to open presents. The night often concludes with fireworks and of course more music, which continues long into the night. By the time Christmas Day rolls around, most people are hungover and exhausted, meaning it’s a much more lowkey day!
Recommended Reading: Your Guide to Cali, Colombia – The Salsa Capital of the World!
Año Viejo (New Year’s Eve)
Perhaps one of the biggest Colombian celebrations of the season is that of New Year’s Eve, or Año Viejo. Colombians have a number of traditions to ring in the new year, which range from the usual to the obscure. However, if you plan to spend New Year’s Eve in Colombia, you’ll certainly witness some truly unique traditions!
If you’re hoping to travel a lot in the upcoming year, you can join the Colombians in running around the block with their luggage on December 31st! However, if you’re looking for a bit more financial luck, consider carrying some lentils in your pocket on the new year. If general luck is all you’re looking for, all you have to do is eat 12 grapes at midnight – one for each strike of the clock!
However, the name año viejo, or old year, most directly comes from the tradition of burning a puppet or doll at midnight. This doll symbolizes the things you want to leave in the past, disappearing along with the ashes. Some people even put fireworks in the puppet to really drive the point home!
Significant Cultural Traditions
Besides important dates, there are also plenty of distinct cultural traditions involved in Colombian Christmas. Gift-giving, decorations, and religious celebrations all take on a uniquely Colombian twist for the holidays.
Misa de Gallo (Rooster’s Mass)
Misa de Gallo, or Rooster’s Mass, is a midnight mass held every year on Christmas Eve. The mass commemorates the birth of Jesus, and is often attended by families following Christmas dinner.
The origins of Rooster’s Mass date back to Europe, when Pope Sixtus III of Rome held the first midnight mass in the 5th century. To this day, the center of the mass is the prayer “mox ut gallus cantaverit,” which means “when the rooster crows.” The tradition was brought to Latin America by the Spanish, and continues to be a centerpiece of Christmas traditions in many Latin American countries.
Christmas Decorations
Colombians love to go all out for Christmas, and holiday decorations are a perfect example. While traditional decorations include nativity scenes, poinsettias, candles, and Christmas trees, decorations have taken on a whole new life in recent years, with most towns and cities setting up light displays in their central plazas.
Larger cities like Medellín and Bogota are especially notable for their decorations. Medellín is known to have one of the best holiday displays in the country, with millions of lights taking over the city during the holiday season. This private tour with a local will take you to some of the best Christmas displays in the city!
The city of Bogotá itself is covered with lights, but the real draw in the region is the Ruta Navideña. This route covers multiple pueblos, or towns, throughout the surrounding departments of Cundinamarca and Boyaca that go all out for the Christmas season. Driving the Ruta Navideña is often an all-night activity, with visitors making a pilgrimage throughout the region and stopping in multiple towns to visit the lights, eat the traditional foods, and watch the festivities take place!
Gift-Giving Customs
Gift giving is a central part of Christmas in Colombia, but Santa Claus is nowhere to be seen. Rather, Colombians say it’s Baby Jesus, or Niño Jesús, who leaves presents under the tree for the children. Families often encourage their children to write letters to Baby Jesus about what they want to receive for Christmas.
Gift exchanges amongst families most often take place on the night of December 24th, or Nochebuena, following family dinner. The official start of gift exchanges usually begins with placing baby Jesus in the nativity scene so the gift-giving may begin!
Traditional Foods to Try
One of the biggest parts of Christmas in Colombia is the food! There are numerous dishes emblematic of a Colombian Christmas celebration, and many people look forward to the holidays for the food alone.
If you’re visiting Colombia for the holidays, bringing home a Christmas treat can be one of the best souvenirs to remember your trip! Here are just a few can’t-miss holiday dishes.
Lechona
Perhaps the most emblematic dish of Christmas in Colombia, lechona is a total showstopper and common centerpiece of any Christmas feast. Lechona is a roasted suckling pig, often stuffed with a mixture of rice, onions, and spices.
The preparation of this dish takes hours if not days. First, the pig is marinated in a mixture of spices, then stuffed with the rice mixture. Finally, the entire pig is roasted in a hot oven, so the skin becomes caramelized and crispy.
While lechona is most often eaten at family gatherings, it’s not uncommon to find vendors selling lechona in the street, especially during the holiday season!
Natilla
Natilla is a sweet, gelatinous dessert often topped with cinnamon. The texture is similar to that of flan – but don’t call it flan or the Colombians might just come for you! The dish has a caramel flavor, and is often served alongside a cup of hot chocolate or side of buñuelos.
While traditional natilla is made with milk, panela, and cinnamon, you’ll see a variety of flavors available throughout the holiday season. One of the most popular is natilla de arequipe, or caramel flavor, or you’ll sometimes see natilla topped with coconut or raisins. Perhaps one of the most unique ways to make natilla is a boozy version with aguardiente – Colombia’s favorite spirit!
Buñuelos
There is perhaps no Christmas dish more iconic than buñuelos, or deep-fried, cheesy balls of goodness. These popular Christmas treats have a crunchy exterior and a fluffy, bready interior, flavored with queso campesino, or farmer’s cheese.
You’ll find no shortage of buñuelos during the holiday season, as they’re sold on nearly every street corner! They’re certainly best straight out of the fryer, or even served with chocolate, arequipe, or sweetened condensed milk!
Canelazo
Canelazo is a cozy drink with a twist – most notably Colombia’s favorite spirit or aguardiente! This sweet and spicy drink is most often made with sugar, cinnamon, cloves, orange juice, and of course aguardiente, giving it a flavor similar to that of a Hot Toddy.
You’ll often find the drink served in sugar-rimmed mugs, or scooped from giant pots by street vendors. Variations of canelazo can be found without aguardiente, or with a heavier focus on fruit or cinnamon flavors.
Recommended Reading: Choosing a Coffee Tour in Salento – The Ultimate Guide
The Best Places to Celebrate Christmas in Colombia
Colombia is a large and diverse country, so there are plenty of spots to choose from when deciding where to spend the holidays! From the sweeping hills of the coffee region to the deserts of La Guajira, there are plenty of places to choose from, but here are some considered the best in the country.
Bogotá
The department of Boyaca, surrounding the capital city of Bogota, is one of the best places to celebrate Christmas in Colombia. It’s home to the famous Ruta Navideña, a number of pueblos who go all out for the holiday season. Visitors travel through the pueblos as a pilgrimage, and you’ll find nearly every Christmas treat along the way, from buñuelos to canelazo to natilla!
🏠 Book accommodation for Christmas in Bogotá
✈️ Find flights to Bogotá for Christmas
Medellín
Medellín is one of the most well-known Christmas celebrations in Colombia, with the city coming to life with millions of Christmas lights every year. From the Plaza Botero to the Parques del Río, the city truly comes alive during the holiday season. Plus, Medellín is known as the city of eternal spring, so it’s a mild city to spend an often-chilly holiday. Check out this guided Christmas lights tour to explore the city with a local!
🏠 Book accommodation for Christmas in Medellín
✈️ Find flights to Medellín for Christmas
Cartagena
If you’re looking for a true Caribbean Christmas, look no further than the coastal city of Cartagena. There’s plenty to explore both in and outside of the city, plus Cartagena is known for some of the biggest New Year’s celebrations in the country!
Just be warned – costeños sure know how to party! From Barranquilla Carnival in Atlántico to the Fiestas de 20 de Enero in Sucre, the new year is party season along the Colombian coast, so Cartagena is a great place to start!
🏠 Book accommodation for Christmas in Cartagena
✈️ Find flights to Cartagena for Christmas
Why Celebrate Christmas in Colombia?
Colombia is an extraordinary country for many reasons, but the Christmas celebrations make it truly unique. Christmas is a months-long celebration in Colombia, but you have to see it to believe it!
While there is certainly plenty to be experienced during the Christmas season in Colombia, it’s important to note that the December holidays are extremely family-focused. However, don’t let this dissuade you – Colombians love to share their cultures with outsiders, and it’s not unheard of to get an invite into a local’s home wherever you are! Just make sure you brush up on your Spanish first.
Celebrating Christmas in Colombia is truly one of the most unique experiences you can have in the country. I’m actually on a mission to visit all 32 departments of the country – check it out to learn more about what makes Colombia extraordinary!
What to Pack for Colombia
Planning a trip to Colombia soon? Consider adding some of these essentials to your suitcase for a truly epic trip!
💧 Filtered Water Bottle – Save on the single-use plastic and protect from parasites!
🧥 Heavy-Duty Rain Jacket – For the ever-changing Colombian weather!
🎒 Anti-theft Backpack – Perfect for exploring big cities or trekking in the jungle
🧖♀️ Microfiber Travel Towel – A go-to travel essential anywhere in the world!
🔌 Portable Charger – Keep your phone charged out on the go
🔐 Mini Padlock – Perfect for securing your backpack or locking up your items at the hotel
🔋 Universal Travel Adapter – Charge all your devices anywhere in the world!
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Virginia Taylor (Ginna) is a travel writer and photographer exploring the world until her boots wear through. She’s currently on a mission to explore all 32 departments of Colombia, though she formerly called the Middle East home. Want to know more? Visit the About Page.