Celebrating Christmas; In February?

It’s the most wonderful time of the year, but not yet for this Afro-Colombian tribe. Quinamayó celebrates Christmas in February because many enslaved workers had to work in December. They instead chose to celebrate it 40 days later. Just because they don’t celebrate at the same time as all of us, it doesn’t mean that they do any less. They go all out with ceremonies! The kids dress up and represent their culture. 

The Festival

The festival is a huge celebration in Quinamaýo. They have entertainment and concerts, Salsa music fills the streets, and they even bring in an amusement park! But, for the past few years, the festival has been canceled due to Covid. 

The Weekend

Over that weekend, kids and teenagers dress up to represent nativity scenes. Women in dresses dance the Juga. Teen girls compete in pageants using handmade dresses. Adults dress in animal costumes and do mock fights, while the kids dress as angels. They light fireworks and many different types of sparklers to show their joy. Everywhere you look is filled with bright colors and fun activities. 

So, even though they don’t celebrate at the same time as the rest of the world, they still go all out. Are you going to start celebrating Christmas in February? Leave a comment!

Source

Glatsky, Genevieve. ¨Why This Town Has Celebrated Christmas in February for Nearly 200 Years¨ The New York Times, March 30th, 2023.

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/30/world/americas/colombia-february-christmas-quinamayo.html