I feel so lucky to have been born in such a diverse country. At this gift-giving and reflective time of year, when I am thinking about what I want and need, I think about the advice that I’ve heard repeatedly and truly believe – that, at least for someone in the middle class like me, life experiences and travel can bring so much more happiness and fulfillment than material things. On that note, I really hope someday I have the time to travel and learn from the different cultures of Colombia. And I would love to start that journey by visiting family first. My parents are from the Caribbean coast (known in Colombia as The Coast, or “La Costa”) and moved to Cali a long time ago. I have extended family in many places in the country so planning a trip that included family connections would be a beautiful experience and allow me to learn more about my own country and heritage.
One of the ways diversity shows up in Colombia is through music. Señal Colombia is a national television channel funded and founded by the government. The channel focuses on content that reflects the different Colombian cultures and populations. The channel also has a space on YouTube. I highly recommend that you explore it if you want to learn more about my beautiful Colombia – its cultures, people, and history!
Colombia is divided into five different regions: the Pacific, Andes, Orinoco, Amazon, and Caribbean. The country is made up of 31 departments (similar to states or provinces), all ethnically distinct from one another to varying degrees. As you can see below, each region is represented in a video, but Colombia’s musical diversity goes way beyond what’s shown here in these Christmas songs.
Song: Los peces en el río. Genre: Bullerengue/chalupa. Group: Las mujeres de mi tierra. Region: Caribean- Cartagena
“Día de Todos los Santos” (All Saints’ Day) is celebrated on November 1st, but if this date falls on a weekend, the celebration is moved to Monday to make it a long holiday weekend. This is known in Colombia as “La Ley Emiliani”, and it happens with some celebrations. As a result, Monday is a day off for many people in the country.
Growing up in Colombia I remember Día de Todos los Santos as a day to go to church or go to the cemetery to bring flowers and remember the loved ones who are no longer with us. Since I grew up in a big city, I could see that nothing big happened on that day. However, there are other places in Colombia where this celebration has a deeper meaning. I recently became aware of these celebrations.
The Misak People and All Saints Day
For the Misak People in the Cauca Department located in the Andes mountains in Southern Colombia, November 1st (as this article states) marks the first day of the new year, and November 2nd is a day to take offerings to the church and the cemetery.
This fun celebration is also known as “Tintilillo” and is celebrated in some areas of the Caribbean Coast of Colombia. I was able to find some videos, and if you watch them all, you can hear that they have a variety of songs. In some places, they are asking for ingredients to make sancocho and in other places, children are asking for candy.
I am sure there are other places in Colombia that have their unique celebrations to remember their loved ones and celebrate their lives.
February 21st is International Save Bears Day. This day seeks to raise awareness to protect these beautiful animals. The National Park Service of Colombia has made this day “El día del oso de anteojos” (spectacled bear), in order to raise awareness in the country. El oso de anteojos is also known as the “oso andino.” It is found in the Andean nations of Venezuela, Colombia, Bolivia, Ecuador and Perú. Will you put on your glasses to join the celebration? Make to sure to post on your different social media outlets using the hashtag #PonteLosAnteojosPorLaVida.
Get ready to sing this song to celebrate los osos de anteojos!
Visit Mundo de Pepita’s blog to print the awesome glasses template she created to help you take part in this celebration!
