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Colombian Independence Day is celebrated annually on the 20th July. The event marks the day that, in 1810, the residents of Bogotá were stirred into protesting on the streets against Spanish rule. A limited independence, later made permanent, was decreed in the country, freeing Colombia from the Spanish.

The riot was incited under unusual circumstances, although it is said the plan was pre-devised. The plan was that a selection of Bogotanos would ask Spanish merchant Joaquín Gonzalez Llorente for a flower vase. It was assumed - correctly - that Llorente, an uncharitable man, would refuse. This refusal would grant an excuse to begin the riot. Accounts differ over whether Llorente rudely denied the request or not but the end result was the same: the patriots took to the streets claiming Llorente had been rude and an already bubbling population finally boiled over the edge.

One of the great appeals of the holiday is its global reach. Owing to the large amount of emigration that has taken place in Colombia's history, many parties take place in cities throughout the world. This normally includes London, San Francisco, Melbourne and New York City. Thousands of Colombians and Latinos take to the street to enjoy the revelry and the spirit of Colombia captures the whole city.

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Colombian Independence Day is celebrated annually on the 20th July. The event marks the day that, in 1810, the residents of Bogotá were stirred into protesting on the streets against Spanish rule. A limited independence, later made permanent, was decreed in the country, freeing Colombia from the Spanish.

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Watch my amazing website created on emaze - The stunning web site builder.

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Select the category that you want to answer a question.

Colombian Celebrations

January

February

July

March

April

August

Fiesta de la Virgen del Carmen

this event is celebrated on 16th of this month and is related to faith .

Book fair

The fair represents an important space for business and the most important ... event for the national and international publishing sector, which also promotes and encourages reading habits

Carnaval de negros y blancos

This carnival is carried out in Pasto and Today's event is a celebration of Colombia's multicultural heritage

Carnaval de Barranquilla

Is considered the most famous and the most important festival in Colombia

HollyWeek

In this celebration you have the oportunity to reflect and regret your sin.

Rock al Parque

The festival features national and international bands of different genres. Originally it only included _____ music.

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Colombian Celebrations by DENNIS MICHAEL PAMPLONA RENDON on Genially

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Select the category that you want to answer a question. Colombian Celebrations January February July March April August Fiesta de la Virgen del Carmen this event is celebrated on 16th of this month and is related to faith . Book fair The fair represents an important space for business and the most important ...

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Culture of Colombia - history, people, clothing, traditions, women, beliefs, food, customs, family

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Culture of Colombia - history, people, clothing, traditions, women, beliefs, food, customs, family Bo-Co

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10 Amazing Cultural Celebrations Around The World

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10 Amazing Cultural Celebrations Around The World

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10 Amazing Cultural Celebrations Around The World

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Top 10 most amazing and beautiful celebrations from around the world like the Chinese New Year filled with crazy fireworks & more! Subscribe to Talltanic http://goo.gl/wgfvrr White Nights Festival, Russia 5. The White Nights Festival is a huge event that takes place every year in St. Petersburg, Russia.

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No article on Colombian traditions would be complete without an overview of Colombia's famous carnivals. These colorful celebrations are often multiday events featuring elaborate parades, beauty contests, spirited performances and delicious regional fare. They provide the perfect forum to see, hear and experience the Colombian clothing, music, dance and food we'll be discussing in the rest of this piece. Many travel and tourism sites such as Frommers and ProExport have comprehensive lists of Colombia's major festivals. Here are a few of our favorites:

Carnaval de Negros y Blancos: Held each January in Pasto, the "Carnival of Blacks and Whites" dates back to ancient Pasto and Quillacinga Indian celebrations held in honor of their moon goddess. Today's event is a celebration of Colombia's multicultural heritage [source: ProExport].

Carnaval de Barranquilla: Billed as the most colorful carnival in the world, Colombians take to the streets for this annual four-day bacchanal, fusing aboriginal ceremonies with the Afro-Colombian music of Colombia's coastal regions and Catholic festivities brought to the region by Spanish colonists [source: ProExport].

Ibagué Folk Festival and Bambuco National Folk Festival: These two festivals celebrate the music of Colombia. Ibagué, in the Tolimia region of the Andes, is considered Colombia's cradle of musical culture. Ibagué's folk festival, held each June, showcases a variety of Colombian musical styles, including sanjuaneros, bambucos and pasillos [source: ProExport]. 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].

Wind and Kite Festival: Strong winds blow through Villa de Leyva each August. Since 1975, the city has been celebrating with a two-day festival of kites. This Colombian festival is a little off the beaten path and will give you a great excuse to explore Villa de Leyva, a city replete with Spanish colonial architecture and boasting the Plaza Mayor, one of the largest town squares in South America [source: The New York Times].

There are literally dozens of other Colombian festivals, including the Feria de las Flores (The Flower Fair) in Medellin, Carnaval de Bogotá and the Festival Nacional del Joropo. Each has its own local flavor, and you can often spot regional costumes in living color at these festivals.

Speaking of which, let's check out the traditional clothing of Colombia in the next section.

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No article on Colombian traditions would be complete without an overview of Colombia's famous carnivals. These colorful celebrations are often multiday events featuring elaborate parades, beauty contests, spirited performances and delicious regional fare. They provide the perfect forum to see, hear and experience the Colombian clothing, music, dance and food we'll be discussing in the rest of this piece.

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Colombia's Unmissable Festivals, Carnivals and Holidays

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Colombia's Unmissable Festivals, Carnivals and Holidays

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The Colombian calendar is jam-packed with celebrations

Colombia is one of the countries in the world with the most national public holidays, with some 20 days spread throughout the year. The Colombian calendar is also peppered with a large number of carnivals and festivals, which bear witness to the national love of celebration.

As a Catholic country, the most important celebrations are those held around Christmas and Easter time. Admittedly, the religious elements of such celebrations are fairly minimal. December is one of the most widely celebrated months, with the very onset of the month energetically celebrated in Medellín with fireworks and all-night parties. Semana Santa, the Easter Holy Week, is also another important time, with a large proportion of the local population using these public holidays to visit domestic tourist sites.

The festivals and holidays which attract the greatest number of domestic and international visitors include:

The Black and White Festival showcases a mixture of indigenous Colombian, Spanish, and Afro-Colombian traditions

Black and White Festival, January - A 3-day carnival held in the city of Pasto, in southeastern Colombia, showcases a mixture of indigenous rituals, Spanish colonial, and later Colombian and Afro-Colombian traditions and customs. The pre-carnival stage begins on 28th December from which time there are widespread impromptu water fights throughout the city. Celebrations begin in earnest from 4th January, with a large parade commemorating the arrival of a family of legendary travelers to Pasto in the 1920s. Activities on the last two days of celebrations are what give the festival its name. On 5th, the assembled crowds all paint each other with black cosmetics or dress in black, and on the following day large quantities of white talcum powder are thrown about covering all those in the city.

Manizales Festival, January - This week-long festival is held annually between the first and second weeks of the New Year, immediately after Cali's Festival. The Spanish and European influences in the festival are particularly evident in events such as the bull-runs during the week. These traditions are mixed with uniquely Colombian ones, drawing heavily upon the coffee industry which dominates the area. The height of the festival is a beauty pageant in which the 'International Queen of Coffee' is crowned.

Barranquilla's four day carnival is one of the biggest events in the Colombian social calendar

Barranquilla Carnival, February - One of the biggest events in the Colombian social calendar, this 4-day festival has been awarded the status of a "Masterpiece of the oral and intangible heritage of humanity" by UN cultural body UNESCO. The event features various days of parades, music, drinking and dancing in a city already famous in Colombia for its active party scene. It is arguably the second biggest and best annual celebration in Latin America's carnival calendar, falling only slightly below the levels of hedonism witnessed at the street parties of Rio de Janiero .

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Easter Processions, March/April - After the hedonism of Barranquilla's carnival comes the more sombre Easter festival in the small historic city of Popayan. A religious procession sees wooden carvings of the passion of the Christ, his crucifixion, death and resurrection, carried along a 2km route round the city, every night during holy week. This long-standing tradition attracts a large number of visitors to the city each year, but the event remains a sober affair.

World Salsa Festival, August - Cali, the world capital of salsa music, plays host to this 8-day music festival in August. A total of over 4,000 dancers, musicians and artists, and approximately 20 national orchestras, participate in the various events planned throughout the week. These include shows, workshops, talks and practical salsa lessons for attendees.

Medellin's Flower Festival features a booze-laden parade of more than 6,500 locals on horseback

Flower Festival, August - The city of Medellin witnesses a massive influx of tourists in August for the Feria de las Flores. The festival is a multi-day event featuring a large number of different concerts, shows, parades and celebrations, very few of which have any link to flowers. Some of the largest and most popular events traditionally include: the cabalgata (a booze-laden parade featuring more than 6,500 locals on horseback); the parade of the silleteros (locals carrying large ornate flower displays on their backs); the fondas (a selection of traditional bars representing each region of the country, assembled along the riverbanks); and the classic cars parade. From 2014, the festival has not featured the cabalgata, due to disagreements between event organizers and authorities over how to limit the disruption traditionally associated with this event.

Pacific Coast's Folklife Festival, August - Buenaventura on the Pacific Coast plays host to this festival, celebrating the artistic and cultural diversity of the region. The inhabitants of this part of Colombia are Afro-Colombians providing a rich mixture of dance, music, food, literature and poetry and other traditions less evident elsewhere in the country. All feature heavily in this festival, held between 25th and 28th August.

Cartagena's Independence Celebration and National Beauty Pageant, November - A celebration of Cartagena's independence from the Spanish in 1811, featuring music, fireworks, a huge boat party, traditional dances..and plenty to drink. The crowning event of the festival is the beauty pageant from which Colombia's contestant for the Miss Universe competition is selected.

Festival of Cali, December - A five-day festival held between Christmas and New Year, boasting an inaugural concert attended by approximately 60,000 people. As with Medellin's Flower Festival, the numerous events held include a cabalgata and parade of classic cars. Cali's festival generally has a greater focus on music concerts, and often attracts high profile Latin music stars. In 2014, headline acts included salsa singer Marc Anthony and pop artist Don Omar.

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Colombia's Unmissable Festivals, Carnivals and Holidays

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The Colombian calendar is jam-packed with celebrations Colombia is one of the countries in the world with the most national public holidays, with some 20 days spread throughout the year. The Colombian calendar is also peppered with a large number of carnivals and festivals, which bear witness to the national love of celebration.

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Colombia is the home of many colorful festivals and traditions taking place throughout the year, with many Colombia holidays largely dictated by the Catholic calendar. Carnivals are a major focus, with most cities and towns having at least one at some point in the year, that feature costumes, parades, music, food, wild parties, and dancing.

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. The event is a synthesis of indigenous pagan and Catholic beliefs and features feasts, costumes, dancing, music, and poetry under the spell of sugar cane liquor. Festivities end with the reading of the testament, a burning of the devil and the burying of the gourd.

Carnaval de Negros y Blancos

The Carnaval de Negros y Blancos, or Festival of Blacks and Whites, is one of the major events in Southern Colombia, celebrated in Pasto over a week in early January. It has earned UNESCO designation for being a masterpiece in oral and intangible heritage of humanity. The first day of the celebration involves the Colonies Parade, a rock concert where farmers offer tributes of flowers and songs to the Virgin of Mercy in return for a good harvest. Day two is the Children's Carnival followed by the Arrival of the Castaneda Family on the third, a colorful cartoon with all the stereotypes including a pregnant bride and a drunk priest. Day four and five are Blacks and Whites Day respectively followed by a Grand Parade on the fifth. The final day is devoted to Rural Culture and a Cuys Festival.

Barranquilla Carnival

Carnaval is held in the port town of Barranquilla over the three days leading up to Lent, the Catholic fast. Participants dress up in exotic costumes and take part in a grand parade with a queen, floats, salsa music, rumba dancing, food, drink and partying.

Santa Semanta

Easter holy week takes place at the end of March/beginning of April each year and is the biggest festival of the year in Catholic Colombia. The city of Popaya is widely considered to be the religious center of the country and is home to an Easter procession that is regarded by many as the finest in South America. Groups of up to eight people carry large wooden platforms depicting scenes from the bible through the cobblestone streets in a parade that lasts many hours.

Bogota International Book Fair

The Bogota International Book Fair is a two week event that has been taking place in in April or May since 1988. It is one of the world's major literary festivals and is one of Latin America's most significant cultural gatherings. Each year, a different country gets to be the principal character which turns Colombia into the biggest library on the planet, drawing writers, illustrators, publishers, editors, readers and book lovers from all over. Besides a massive trade fair for the publishing industry, the event features talks, workshops, concerts, exhibitions, food, drink and a children's program. Colombia is, after all, the home of celebrated author Gabriel Garcia Marquez.

Festival of the Flowers

The city of Medellin has been hosting the Festival of the Flowers since 1957. Taking place over ten days in early August, there are concerts, parades, food and drink, an orchid exposition, and a competition amongst saddlemen bearing flowers on horseback. Common decorations include agapanthus, carnations, chrysanthemums, gladioli, lilies, orchids, roses, and sunflowers.

Day of the Candles

The Day of the Candles occurs on December 7 and marks the unofficial start of the Colombian Christmas season. At night, streets and homes are festooned with candles and paper lanterns, creating tunnels of light to honor the Catholic Immaculate Conception the following day. There are competitions for the best light displays and many towns hold concerts and fireworks shows.

Christmas

The population of Colombia is a largely Catholic, so Christmas events, celebrating the birth of Jesus, are second only to Easter. Many of the devout participate in Novena, daily religious gatherings that start on December 16 with many churches offering morning and night masses, culminating with midnight mass on Christmas Eve, December 24. Novenas are often family events with prayers, bible readings, games, carols, and music. The celebrations begin at midnight on Christmas Eve with prayers, gift giving, feasts, fireworks and parties that last until dawn. Christmas Day is a public holiday, a quieter time for family gatherings.
Click here for an Overview of Colombia

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Colombia is the home of many colorful festivals and traditions taking place throughout the year, with many Colombia holidays largely dictated by the Catholic calendar. Carnivals are a major focus, with most cities and towns having at least one at some point in the year, that feature costumes, parades, music, food, wild parties, and dancing.