- Tree goes up
- Effectively 7-8 December, anchored to “Día/Noche de las Velitas” (Day/Night of the Little Candles) on 7 December, the eve of the Immaculate Conception
- Tree comes down
- Generally aligned with the broader Latin American 6 January (Epiphany/Día de Reyes) close
- Local superstition
- No prominent bad-luck belief documented specifically about the tree.
Why that date
7 December’s Night of the Little Candles — when candles and lanterns are lit throughout towns and cities — is Colombia’s clear, well-documented unofficial start of the Christmas season, immediately preceding the 8 December public holiday; Christmas trees are commonly set up around the same period alongside nativity scenes (“pesebres”).
What actually happens
Genuinely distinctive: the Night of the Little Candles (7 December) is one of Colombia’s most visually striking and widely observed traditions, with candlelit streets, balconies, and plazas nationwide — even among non-religious Colombians.
Taking it down again
Generally aligned with the broader Latin American 6 January (Epiphany/Día de Reyes) close. No prominent bad-luck belief documented specifically about the tree.
If you would rather not have this argument again next year, the calendar reminder on the home page will put both dates straight into your phone.
When the answer is finally yes
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