Every 7th of December, Colombians go out to celebrate Candle day or "día de las velitas" in spanish. This traditional celebration lights up every corner of Colombian cities and towns. It brings families and friends together as they light many candles for the virgin Mary. In order to understand this holiday better, we must remember that colombian population is mainly Catholic.
About this day's history
Lighting candles on the 7th of December has been a Colombian tradition since 1854 when pope Pío IX invited people from all over the world to light candles as a way of remembering the day that virgin Mary got a visit from the holy spirit and it has since been a holiday for lighting up not only the streets of every city but also the hearts of millions of people who go out as family to light up the candles.
This holiday is especially important among children and they are taught from a very young age to remember this important date while they enjoy brighting up the streets of their city and share a lovely evening with their friends, neighbors and family. It is also an opportunity for children to learn the importance of sharing their candles with other kids and adults as they all work together to make the street as bright as possible.
After the candles melt, the wax becomes soft and easy to mould, enabling people to create beautiful figures with it. The most common figures made with melted wax are hearts gifted between couples as a memory of the evening they have spent together and a promise of a long and beautiful love story to be written.
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