According to many Kiwis I’ve met, one of the most prominent characters in a traditional New Zealand Christmas celebration is Santa. Some can probably even remember the names of the 12 reindeer who pull his sleigh.

So what would you think if someone told you that in some places around the world – Santa doesn’t even get a look-in.

Where the jolly, big, red-suited man with a long white beard singing ‘Ho, Ho, Ho’ is not part of Christmas celebrations. That letters will not be sent to him at the North Pole by scores of children in certain parts – and that he will not even deliver the Christmas presents on December 25!

Well, welcome to a Colombian Christmas...

That’s right, 12.075 km away from New Zealand, in Columbia we do Christmas differently!

Stunning Columbian Christmas decorations at night. Photo: Juan Cortes.

First of all, in Colombia there is no Santa on Christmas eve, and if by any chance someone decided to include him in the celebration, Santa would have to jump through the window or even worse knock on the door due to this South American country’s geographical location and nature of its weather.

No one has chimneys and – and as a small personal secret that is something some Colombians dream to use one day because the only ones we know are those we see on the movies or cartoons.

Baby Jesus

Regarding the gifts, in Colombia, the person in charge of doing the job is Baby Jesus. And pretty much all around the country, he is the one who receives the letters from children too. As Columbians we also think when we’re kids that Baby Jesus is the one – who while everyone is sleeping – flies in the bedroom and leaves the presents on the foot of our beds.

It doesn’t matter how many times you try to stay up waiting for Baby Jesus, you will never see him. Is it something like ‘Ding’ he jumps in the room, and ‘Ding’ he jumps out to the house next-door.

A Columbian Christmas nativity scene. Photo: supplied.

Besides the Santa thing, a Columbian Christmas is celebrated on December 24. This is when all families gather early to have dinner, and then seated around the Christmas manger you can open presents when you’re allowed to stay up with the grown-ups.

December is pretty much a religious celebration for lots of Colombians, and that’s why many families start Christmas with the Candle Night on December 7. On this day people hang or place crafted lanterns on their home’s kerbs, windowsills or porches.

In some small towns the streets are closed to adorn them with big lanterns and competitions are made between neighbours to see which one made the most beautiful decoration.

Alborada

The Christmas opening starts December 1 with the Alborada. Alborada is the announcement of the arrival of December, starting around 5am or earlier and is a group of cars driving around the streets honking, playing December traditional music and burning fireworks, spreading the joy of the most desired month of the year.

To be part of this opening people used to prepare a hot beverage with raw sugar cane, hot water, cinnamon and a bit of cane liquor to get warm during the morning.  

Making and setting fire to a ‘year old doll’ is a Colombian New Year’s Eve tradition.

And a very traditional Colombian way to finish Christmas celebrations and see in the New Year is for people make a life-size puppet or doll with old clothes. We, the Colombian call them ‘muñeco de año viejo’ or the ‘old year doll’. This doll symbolises all the things the maker wants to leave in the past year. As soon as 12 bells finish sounding, the dummy is lit on fire to farewell the past year and receive the new one.

I know this may sound weird for many Weekend Sun readers, but this is the way some places and especially Columbia – located almost at the top of the South American continent – celebrate Christmas and farewell years gone by.