On Día de las Velitas, which is celebrated from December 7 to 8, Colombians experience their most beloved holiday. Families decorate their doorways with colorful lanterns, parks are illuminated with wishes that are made every time a candle is lit, and the sky is covered with fireworks. That day Christmas officially begins in the Andean country. In Colombia, December has a special smell, it is a mix between the aroma of buñuelos, custard and brandy. “It is a day full of magic. It’s not just lighting candles, it’s illuminating desires, hope and family unity,” explains Alejandra Triana, who has been living in Madrid for four years and continues to celebrate. “It is a moment that connects me with my essence and allows me to share my culture, demonstrating that our traditions have the power to cross borders and spread their joy to others,” she says excitedly.
The Colombian diaspora is the one that has grown the most in Madrid, with more than 30,000 migrants in 2023. Their most popular parties have also traveled among the suitcases of Latinos, which are increasingly seen in the capital. More than a dozen businesses have decided to open the doors of their premises to celebrate Day of Candles this Saturday with the Colombian community. “When I came to live in Madrid eight years ago, I was always looking for Colombian places where I could go to celebrate the Day of the Candles, but no one ever did anything. Now, Madrid has changed and the migration of so many Colombians has made me feel closer to home. This year, finally, I will be able to celebrate it the way I like it so much,” explains political scientist Ana García, 31 years old.
Daniel Rincón, 36, is the owner of the Latin American bar La Social. A venue located in the Madrid neighborhood of Malasaña that has become the party embassy of the Latin community in the six months it has been open. “The idea of celebrating the Day of the Candles in Madrid came about because from the beginning we wanted to promote our popular festivals in Spain. It is a way to bring the community closer and create a country brand,” explains Rincón, who has two more bars with the same concept in Beijing and Shanghai.
This Saturday, from four in the afternoon, Rincón expects more than 200 people to celebrate the Day of the Candles with the best Christmas music, buñuelos and, of course, candles. “In China we have never celebrated it, although on July 20 [día de la independencia de Colombia] A wonderful party was taking place. In Spain the community is much larger and they have asked us for it since we opened,” he says.
Publicist Valeria Silva was one of the first to confirm her attendance at the event. “What I like most is the energy that is created from many people saying thank you at the same time. It is a day that Colombia gives us to remember everything that made us smile during the year. Remember those we love, ask for them, remember the good to repeat it and the bad to leave behind. Now I live outside the country and I still do it every year,” he says.
It is estimated that close to one million people of Latin American origin live in the Community of Madrid, according to the latest available data. at the National Institute of Statistics (INE). This number represents a significant part of the total population, which exceeds 6.8 million inhabitants. Of the million Latinos, about 20% are Colombians, the foreign population that has grown the most in the region in recent years, along with Venezuelans.
For Daniela Camargo, 28 years old, who arrived a year ago, it is a day to be grateful. “Even though I am far from my homeland, being able to celebrate makes me feel like a little piece of Colombia,” he says. For Camila Romero, 32, who has lived in Spain for nine years, lighting candles is the perfect excuse to share. “I love that feeling of seeing an infinite row of colors and wax melting, it reminds me of my childhood, of my grandparents’ house, with all my happy cousins, now I celebrate it among friends in Madrid,” he says. Julián Báez, 31, who arrived a year ago, agrees with that. For him it still marks the beginning of Christmas. Andrea Noreña, 28 years old, has lit candles since she came to live in Madrid, even if she had to do it alone in the window of her house. “It is magical that an entire country and even those of us who are outside that night are connected by lighting candles and giving thanks,” he says.
The night of candles in the diaspora
Some Madrid businesses that do not have a Latin theme have also joined the celebration by holding special events. At Céntrico Bar, in La Latina, they are going to give away candles to their customers for purchasing a drink. At the Host cafeteria, in Chamberí, its owners have invited all their customers to celebrate this Colombian tradition at the premises, and the Juan Valdez coffee brand is going to open the doors of its premises on Paseo de la Castellana to celebrate the start of Colombian Christmas.
For its part, the migrant group of La Parceria expects more than 400 people in the Sala Villanos to celebrate what they have called the Night of Candles in the diaspora. “Colombians in Madrid will light their candles far from home, but more connected than ever to their roots,” says their spokesperson.
They have planned a night where they will pay tribute to one of the most iconic groups in Colombian music: Los Corraleros de Majagual, whose music has been the soundtrack of Decembers in Colombia for generations. The night will begin with a live concert by Jesse James and Los Juglares, who will revive the classics that marked their culture. “This event celebrates the union of the
migrants through art and dance, demonstrating that traditions have no borders and that the Christmas spirit accompanies us wherever we are,” they say from La Parceria.
La Parceria is a collective formed 14 years ago by migrants who first occupied the streets to meet and now have a location in Embajadores where more than 600 people pass by every week. “Two years ago we had a small Candle Day, but this year we want to do it in a big way by seeing how the Latin migrant community in Madrid has grown,” they say. This Saturday, Madrid lights up in its most Colombian version.
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