10 very interesting traditions of Colombia (and its history)

Each country has its own traditions that come from its ancestors, but with the arrival of the conquests, other customs were present, thus creating a cultural mix quite interesting. Colombia does not escape from that, because they have a very striking culture, which makes it a very impressive nation at the tourist level and that is why thousands of people visit them annually.

Colombia has also experienced modernism and the influence of other cultures, but has remained firm in preserve the legacy it has received from ancient times, to present it to the world as part of its heritage cultural. This country has very important heritages that make its cultural manifestations an icon throughout the region.

Doing a detailed study of the destinations of historical and cultural richness in Colombia is quite a difficult task, but very interesting as well as fun, since each town has a unique stamp and tradition, which is deeply rooted in its inhabitants and offers tourists a varied culture. Colombian celebrations have a wide variety of options for all tastes.

For this reason, we bring in this article some of the most interesting traditions of Colombian culture that you can experience when you want to visit this colorful country in Latin America.

• We recommend you read: "The 20 best typical dishes of Colombia (and how to prepare them)"

What are the most famous Colombian traditions?

Like other countries, this South American nation has a culture with a colonial legacy from the Spaniards has spread throughout the territory, resulting in colorful, picturesque, unique and happy. Below you can learn about some of them.

1. Drink coffee

It may seem like an extremely simple activity, but it is a large part of Colombia's identity, which its people are proud to boast about. Colombia is the second largest coffee exporting country, surpassed by Brazil; It has more than a million hectares that are used to cultivate this appreciated grain.

That is why it is not surprising that, in every corner of Colombian territory, there is always someone who offers a cup of coffee or red as they call it. Coffee is considered the national drink, as it is drunk at all times either alone or accompanied, hot or cold, at mid-morning or at sunset and even after dinner. It is the ideal pretext to chat with friends and family.

2. The feast of Saint Francis of Assisi

This is a celebration that is made to this saint between September 3 and October 5 and it is one of the religious festivities that this Latin American country has. It is celebrated in Quibdó and is also known as 'Fiesta de San Pancho'. During this celebration it is very common to listen to chirimía music, which is the one that is played with a wind instrument, an inaugural mass is celebrated. Afterwards, there is a beautiful parade where floats and altars with beautiful ornaments of different colors are presented.

• We recommend you read: "The 80 best known Colombian proverbs (and their meaning)"

3. The Baranquilla carnival

A country full of color must have a very marked tradition for its carnival. As demonstrated in Colombia, where carnival is a time of joy and fun and in Barranquilla you can find this and much more since It is the place where the second largest carnival festival in the world is celebrated.

In this Colombian region the best carnivals that everyone wants to experience are celebrated for four days, they are full of color, dance and music that floods every street. The season begins long before the official celebration, being Saturday, Sunday, Monday and Tuesday before the Ash Wednesday, the most festive, because every day there is a special parade that maintains the same theme every year. This has led to the Barranquilla Carnival, to be declared a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity.

4. Colombian pot walk

Colombians have a tradition to have a day that, in general, is Sunday when the family is at home, going for a walk to a place outside the city to have a moment of family bonding and leisure. The preferred sites are those near a river to take a dip, play and have a pleasant and comforting time.

The main thing on this tour is to make a good chicken sancocho, which is one of the traditional dishes of Colombian gastronomy. For this, quite large pots are used, which generates the name of this peculiar tradition.

5. Christmas festivities

Christmas is a very beautiful time where people give their best and get used to the whole last day of the year, remember everything that has been done and capture the dreams you want to achieve in the year coming. Colombians start the Christmas tradition from the month of October, when shops are dressed in colors and lights typical of the Christmas season.

It is very common to see the streets decorated with decorations alluding to these dates and there are even contests to see which street or house is the best decorated. Something very typical is to do the Novena of the Child Jesus, where every day a different family welcomes people with music and typical food and some hot drinks.

On December 31 in many localities it is customary to make a giant cloth doll, which is dressed by the neighbors and which they call the old year. It is filled with gunpowder and, just when it is twelve o'clock at night, burns to leave behind all the bad that was lived in the year that has ended.

6. Holy Week processions in Popayán

The Holy Week or Semana Mayor festivities are one of the most popular Catholic traditions in all of Colombia. The processions of Popayán attract the attention of tourists for their showiness and formality with which they are performed, especially the Stations of the Cross where the most important moments of Jesus' journey are recreated until the moment of being crucified. The important celebrations take place from Tuesday to Thursday between 7 and 11 at night, all the energy that is produced at the time of the masses and processions is something indescribable.

7. Palenque de San Basilio

This is a municipality in the Department of Bolívar that only has approximately 4,000 inhabitants and its main attraction is that, despite modernity and technology, all its African traditions are still preserved intact, both in language, gastronomy, dance and especially in their customs.

It is located southwest of Cartagena and has been the only place that has maintained its buildings since the seventeenth century. In this site many celebrations such as weddings, baptisms, religious events among others are held, which gives it the right to be named Intangible Heritage of Colombia.

8. Carnival of Blacks and Whites

This tradition takes place the first week of January in Pasto, Nariño, in southern Colombia. It is a custom of the pre-Hispanic Andean region. It is characterized because in recent days, the inhabitants paint their faces in black and white as a commemoration of the different ethnic groups and cultures of the region.

9. Festival of the Legend of Vallenato

An activity to celebrate the traditional music of Colombia. Music is a universal language that captivates everyone and Colombia has an endless variety of very significant, vallenato being one of them. This musical genre is a reliable representation of Colombian culture and it is through it that this country is well known worldwide.

In 1968 this festival was created with the purpose of not disappearing this musical culture. The Festival de la Leyenda del Vallenato or Festival del Vallenato as it is also known, takes place at the end of April and on certain occasions it takes place at the beginning of May in Valledupar. This celebration allows to know the magic, customs and experiences of this beautiful Colombian terroir.

10. Traditional Knowledge of the Jaguar Shamans of Yuruparí

Colombia has endless cultures and traditions that are not only a matter of fun and entertainment, but there are also some that are to heal the body, mind and spirit. The same way, serve (according to their beliefs) to prevent disease and revitalize nature.

These traditions are found in the Traditional Knowledge of the Jaguar Shamans of Yuruparí that with their dances and songs help to connect with the spiritual. To enjoy these rituals, you have to go to the towns that are settled on the banks of the Río Pirá Paraná, located in the southwest of Colombia. This knowledge is full of ancient wisdoms that are very effective in learning to manage time and life.

Colombia is a country full of cultures and traditions, for which it is known throughout the world, this has allowed it to be worthy of various Intangible Heritage, since all these cultural manifestations represent what the nation and its population. The same way, the sight of tourists is the best tool to publicize the cultural richness of the Colombian territory.