Little Candles Day

What it is

Little Candles Day is among the religious occasions Colombians keep most widely, and Spanish speakers know it as Día de las velitas. On the evening of 7 December, candles and paper lanterns are set out where the light will show, and each small flame honours the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary. That doctrine, which concerns her conception, is held as dogma by the Catholic Church. The night comes just before the feast that celebrates it, and the next day is a public holiday, which is why the evening tends to run late.

Origins and history

The custom begins with an announcement. In 1854 Pope Pius IX proclaimed the Immaculate Conception to be dogma, issuing it in a document titled Ineffabilis Deus, and he did so on 7 December. Catholics marked the news with candlelight in many countries, Colombia among them. The response of that first night became annual: the Catholic Church in Colombia carried the practice forward and fixed the candle lighting to 7 December each year. What began as a way of receiving an announcement is now a night that families plan for.

Candles, lanterns and events

Darkness is the signal. Once night falls on 7 December, households light candles together and set lanterns beside them, on steps, in windows and along the street. Churches hold processions and other observances. Beyond the religious side of the evening, towns put on events of their own, and fireworks displays and competitions are among them. Neighbours visit one another, children stay up, and the lighting often continues past midnight. Because nobody is required to work the next day, the night can last as long as people want it to.

December the eighth

The eighth of December is the Feast of the Immaculate Conception and a public holiday. Work is not required that day. Many homes mark it with a white flag that carries the image of the Virgin Mary, hung from morning until night. The day belongs to the same observance as the candles, though the mood is quieter and more formal. Together the two days form the point at which many Colombians feel Christmas has begun, even though the church's own opening of the season is the first Sunday of Advent, somewhere between 27 November and 3 December.

Earlier nights in Paisa country

In some parts of Colombia the candles are lit earlier. The Paisa region is named for this: there, the little candles are set out on several nights ahead of 8 December rather than only the one. According to the account given, the earlier timing is thought to come from Jewish Hanukkah practice, the reasoning being that many paisas are of Jewish descent. That origin is offered as a belief rather than as something settled. Elsewhere in the country the observance keeps to the single night, so the Paisa version reads as a local variation within the wider tradition.

How Little Candles Day is kept

When the evening of 7 December comes, households light candles and put out paper lanterns where they will be seen. Churches hold processions and other observances. Towns add their own events, which include fireworks displays and competitions. People visit one another and stay up late, and the lights burn on into the night. On 8 December no one is required to work, and many homes hang a white flag bearing the image of the Virgin Mary for the whole day.

When and where

The observance is kept on 7 December and closes at sunrise on 8 December. It stays on the same date each year because it belongs to the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, fixed on 8 December. In the Paisa region the lighting can begin on several nights beforehand.

Colombia is the country of the tradition, and it is widely observed there, in large cities and small towns alike. No single place is named as its home. Within Colombia, the Paisa region stands out for lighting the candles on earlier nights rather than on the one.

What Little Candles Day means

Candles and lanterns are a way of honouring the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary, the belief that Pope Pius IX declared dogma in 1854. Lighting them together turns a doctrine into something neighbours do in company, at the door and in the street. The evening also opens the Christmas period for many families, so the small flames mark both a belief and a beginning.

Little Candles Day dates: 2026, 2027, 2028

Questions people ask about Little Candles Day

See also

NovenaA nine-day Christian prayer tradition for petitions, feasts, or mourning.ColeoA Venezuelan and Colombian sport where riders chase cattle to snatch tails and pull them down.SalsaA lively Latin partner dance rooted in Afro-Caribbean rhythms and social dance traditionsBullfightingA ritual contest between a bullfighter and a bull, kept in Spain and Latin America

Good reading and sources

• Day of the Little Candles on WikipediaEncyclopedia
• More photos on Wikimedia CommonsPhotos and video
• Wikidata recordOpen data

It may contain mistakes. Traditions differ from one family, village and community to the next, and the people who keep them know them best. If something is wrong, tell us. Last refreshed 2026-10-05.