Music & Rituals : Christmas in Colombia

Music has always been essential to holidays and important events throughout the year. Some of these crucial dates wouldn't be as memorable without music. The holidays are an excellent time to spend with our family and loved ones. It's a time of rest but also of celebration. The way certain holidays are celebrated can differ throughout different parts of the world; Christmas is a perfect example of this, as it's celebrated differently in all parts of the globe. 

I was born in Colombia and lived there until I was about 12. Once I moved to the U.S., I noticed the clear contrast between how Colombians and Americans celebrate Christmas, and we can see the difference between the types of music played during this holiday; now, obviously, there are going to be some apparent aspects that are going to be different "tones" or moods of the music played in each country. In Colombia, we celebrate Christmas in a more"party" way. We obviously take a lot of importance in the religious traditions as we are predominantly a catholic country, but we also enjoy this festive time by singing and dancing.

This song by Rodolfo Aicardi is one of the most played in Colombia during Christmas. The song lyrics have nothing to do with Christmas; the lyrics never imply the holiday. It's just a party song that talks about some love affair. This song can be categorized as a Cumbia, and it's primarily listened to in popular gatherings. In Colombia, a song like this that is primarily listened to at parties equates to a Christmas song. In a way, Colombians use Christmas as an excuse for huge parties that can last days. This doesn't mean we don't have Christmas carols or any other religious hymns; we do, but they're mostly played during church or when we pray.

This is a Christmas carol not only very famous in Colombia but in the whole of Latin America. It's famous among kids. As you can hear, it's very upbeat and cheerful sounding. The song's lyrics talk about the birth of Christ and how a child with his donkey travels to Bethlehem to meet Baby Jesus. Catholicism is a massive deal in Colombia, especially during Christmas. The guitar is the main instrument in this song, as it is in many of the older songs of this time.

This song is so old that I couldn't find a decent-quality video. It's played on New Year's Eve. Its title translates as "5 until 12". This song brings up fond memories. The song would play on all radio stations and TV channels at 11:55. It would alarm people that they have 5 minutes for the new year to start; it creates excitement and brings people together. This tradition really represents the holiday spirit in Colombia as a whole: a time when people come together in peace to party and celebrate such an important holiday surrounded by loved ones.