FIRST ADVANCE OF THE PROJECT

PRIMER AVANCE PROYECTO

TOPIC: CANDLE’S DAY.
TEMA: DIA DE LAS VELITAS.
Members: / Integrantes:

Lina María Gómez Duarte.

Krisly Tatiana Suárez Manrique.
Jennifer Valentina Leal Rojas.

Good afternoon every body, today my classmates Krisly Jennifer and I, are going
to talk about the “The day of the little candles” or “Día de las velitas” in Colombia.

The Dia de las Velitas, or Day of the Little Candles, is how most Colombians
welcome the Christmas season. Every December 7th, families go to the streets to
light hundreds of little candles, which are meant to light the way of the Virgin Mary
as she comes to bless their home. You will see these glowing beacons lighting the
streets of all Colombian towns and cities on this day.

Al this decoration is placed in balconies, porches, sidewalks, streets, parks and

squares; in short, everywhere they can be seen, in honor of the Virgin Mary and
her Immaculate Conception. On December 8 it is customary for houses to hoist a
white flag with the image of the Virgin Mary all day. They also hold numerous
events, from firework shows to competitions.

With regards to the decoration in this special day.

The most frequent are the lamps made from bottles shaped
like flowers. These lamps and candles can be placed on the
windows, balconies, porches, sidewalks, streets, parks and
squares, in short, everywhere they can be seen, in honor of
the Virgin Mary and her immaculate conception. Also you can
see bonfires lit by peasants in the mountains.

As this celebration marks the beginning of Christmas Eve, people usually make
homemade designs with colored cardboard paper and figures such as, snowmen,
red socks, caramel sticks and so on.

Although it is not a good idea, gunpowder is still widely used, especially in the
cities from Antioquia.

How about the celebration in Medellín?

The celebration begins on December 7 and continues on the 8th, when candles
and lanterns illuminate houses and streets. Families gather to celebrate along with
candle lighting and it is common that with melted wax the children embark on
making sperm balls (paraffin) and teenagers in La Candelada del Diablo.

At the same time, the Christmas lights are

inaugurated throughout the city, mainly in the
avenues of the Medellín and La Playa rivers; in
this last one, a parade called "Parade of Myths
and Legends" takes place, in which are staged
great figures that represent the different myths and legends Colombian like the
Mohán, the Llorona and the Father without Head. All these cultural activities,
accompanied by pyrotechnic fires, are offered by the mayor as a gift to the city and
mark the beginning of Christmas in Medellín. The Medellín Christmas decor has
become one of the most famous and representative tourist attractions of the city
during the Christmas season.

Thanks so much!