Colombia Culture and Traditions

Customs and traditions

Society is in many and very hierarchical. According to Abbreviationfinder, People gain respect because of age, experience and position. Those who are shown such respect are also expected to take responsibility. Therefore, the oldest person in the family or at work is the one to make important decisions.

The family is central to the social pattern. The family provides support and advice and in return receives strong loyalty. You spend close family and family time, although three generations rarely live together other than in the countryside. It is common for children to live at home until they get married.

• Countryaah: Overview of the capital city of Colombia, including information about its population, economy, geography, history and map.

Men take hold, and women often grab their forearms instead of shaking hands when they greet. Common greeting phrases are buenos slides (good day), buenas tardes (good afternoon) or buenas noches (good night / good evening). Between friends you can greet with kisses on the right cheek for women and hug and pat on the shoulder for men.

Like others in the Spanish-speaking world, most Colombians use double surnames, one from the father and one from the mother. The father’s last name is written first and used in daily speech. New acquaintances are addressed with both title and surname.

Gifts

Gifts are given on birthdays, Christmas and thirteen. Girls’ 15th birthday is an important milestone in life, and then a gold jewelery is common as a gift.

When you are invited home you can bring fruit, potted plants or fine chocolate. Flowers should be sent in advance. Roses are popular, but lilies and tages are used at funerals.

It’s not nice to come half an hour or even an hour late for an invitation, unlike a business meeting.

At the table

Table condition can be quite formal. You are assigned a place first and are offered a good deal before you go. The oldest is served first. It is considered polite to taste everything that is offered.

A typical dinner in a middle-class family may consist of fruit, soup and main course of meat or fish with rice or potatoes. In poorer families, there are often more carbohydrate dishes. The dessert is often very sweet, made on a panel, a form of brown sugar.

The food culture is changing. In the countryside inland you can get a hearty breakfast of pork, rice and beans, cooking bananas, and a large roast with fried eggs. The dinner is similar, except for the eggs. On the coast you eat more seafood. In Cartagena, a typical lunch consists of rice with coconut, fried bananas and shrimp.

At parties, especially in Bogotá, you can eat ajiaco, a stew or a soup with three types of potatoes, chicken and corn. It is served with capers, cream and avocado. Another dish at festivals is pasteles, including rice, chicken, vegetables, olives and potatoes. The dish is wrapped in cabbage leaves and banana leaves and is typically on Christmas Eve on the Caribbean coast. Colombians drink a lot of beer and coffee but a little wine and milk.

Dress

Among the middle and upper classes in cities, the style of clothing is similar to that of North America and Europe. In Bogotá you can see shoe polishers with neckties and secretaries with very high heels, beautiful dresses and lots of jewelry and makeup. In the lowlands, men wear Guayabera shirts and chinos.

In rural areas, people often wear the same clothes in the home as when working in the fields. The men usually have loose-fitting and fairly wide trousers, and the women have loose-fitting skirts. A mantle or mantle is common in the chilly highlands.

Business meetings

Punctuality is important, although five minutes of delay is okay. The agenda is often a starting point, but not always followed. It is crucial to create relationships, and it is worth spending time on it. A meeting is going on as long as it is needed, you should not try to speed up the discussion.

It is important to pay attention to indirect communication, which is common. Body language and context can say more than direct words. Anyone who is straightforward has to put on a band so as not to hurt, as it is important to maintain face and relationship.

Although Colombians get excited, it should not be confused with aggressiveness. It is important to avoid confrontation. If someone makes a mistake, you must not make it public, because the person loses their face.

Holidays

A number of church celebrations are also national holidays. Important are the thirteenth day, Easter, all Saints’ Day (November 1), the spot of the Immaculate Conception (December 8) and Christmas. A number of saints are also celebrated nationally and locally.

According to Countryaah, other important holidays are Independence Day (July 20), in memory of the Declaration 1810, and (August 7) ​​in memory of the victory over the Spaniards in 1819. There are regional and local holidays, and every November, Miss Colombia, a major event in a country where female beauty is seen as important.

2010

September

Senior Farc leader killed

Jorge Briceno (known as Mono Jojoy), regarded as guerrilla’s foremost military strategist, is killed in an air strike. It is a hard blow to the guerrillas and shows that Farc members cannot feel safe anywhere in Colombia.

August

US presence on military bases is rejected

The Constitutional Court states that the agreement to allow the United States to use military bases in violation of the Constitution (see October 2009). The reason is that the decision is not rooted in Congress.

Santos will take over

In conjunction with Juan Manuel Santo’s entry, Farc leader Alfonso Cano says in a video recording that the guerrillas are prepared to start peace talks with the new government.

July

Army attack against Farc

Twelve bodyguards of high-ranking leaders in the left guerrilla Farc are killed in an attack. The army council is described as a hard blow to the pressed guerrillas.

June

Santos wins the presidential election

In the second round of the presidential election, Santos clearly wins, with 69 percent of the vote, over Antanas Mockus.

May

Nothing crucial in the first round of the presidential election

In the first round, Juan Manuel Santos of the Uribe faithful U party wins with 47 percent of the vote against 21 percent for the Green Party (PV) Antanas Mockus and about 10 percent for Germán Vargas Lleras from Radical Change (CR).

March

Government success in congressional elections

The congressional election will be a success for non-friendly parties. The U-Party becomes the largest, followed by the Conservative Party (PCC) and the Liberal Party (PLC). The Left Alliance Polo makes a bad choice. Distribution of seats in the House of Representatives / Senate: U party 47/28, Conservative party 38/22, Liberal party 37/17, Radical change 15/8, PIN 12/9, Polo 4/8, Green party 3/5.