Carnivals are everywhere and Colombia is not an exception. Our carnivals where introduced by the Spaniards a long time ago and have elements from the European Culture as well as African and Amerindian. The most famous ones are Barranquilla's Carnival, Blacks and Whites Carnival and The Carnival of the Devil. Do you want to know more about them?

Barranquilla's Carnival takes place for four days preceding Ash Wednesday. It includes many music styles such as cumbia, porros, mapales, merecumbés and others. During these days the streets are covered by people dancing and of course drinking. The costumes can vary; they can be either individual or collective. This carnival was proclaimed in 2003 as one of the Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO.

In Pasto, Nariño, Blacks and Whites Carnival is the biggest and the most important Carnival in the South of Colombia. It takes place from the 2nd to the 7th of January. The carnival mixes the celebration the free day the black slaves had and The Three Kings day. The Arrival of the Castañeda Family is recreated on the 4th. According to some historians this family was very big and came from another city to Pasto with all their furniture. Therefore, on that day you can see people on the street carrying anything they have at home. The 5th is the Day of the Blacks, so everybody paints their face with special make up. The next day, the 6th is the Day of the Whites, thus people paint themselves again but now in white, they use mainly talcum powder or flour.

Carnival of the Devil has nothing to do with Satan. On the contrary, it’s a commemoration of unity between Quiebralomo and La Montaña’s habitants. After that every year this union was celebrated and in 1915 the image if the evil was adopted. This picturesque festivity is celebrated from the 2nd to the 7th January.

Black and White Carnival

As we already know Spanish is one of the easiest languages to learn, however, there are a few words in particular that require some special attention. Besides that, as the language is spoken in so many countries, you will find that the Spanish language is somehow different: words, verbs and expressions vary from one place to another.

When foreigners speak Spanish mistakes are almost all the time the same, but they also depend on the country the foreign comes from. I’d say the first mistake can be the use of the verb to be. In Spanish we have two different verbs: ser, which refers to a condition and estar, which refers to the essence or a place. So please never say: “Yo soy en casa” this is completely wrong. To express that you are at home, say: “Yo estoy en casa”.

The next mistake is always quite hard to explain. We have two words that mean “for” in English: “por” and “para”. Nonetheless, they have different meanings in Spanish. I recommend you to learn some clues and some example sentences that will help you to use the correct preposition. Be aware that in some cases if you get confused and used the wrong one you might end up saying something different.

Another common mistake is using the improper article for a noun. In Spanish we have two genders masculine and feminine. For example: el avión (m) (the airplane) and la casa (f) (the house or home). Everybody assumes that all nouns ended in “–a” are feminine, which is not true, most of them are, but you cannot ignore exceptions. For instance: el clima (the weather), el diploma (the diploma).

Mistakes can be many but honestly if you are trying earnestly to express yourself, natives will always help you and encourage you to keep on leaning Spanish. Besides that, if you want to experience life in a Spanish speaking country, you should improve your language level because generally, your English alone won’t cut it.

In 2000, “tejo” became a national sport in Colombia. This sport was played by the natives in Cundinamarca 500 years ago. They used a 1,5 pound golden disk, called “turmequé”. After it became popular, it was played with a stone disk and then a metal disk which is used nowadays. This disk, called tejo, is a 9cmx4cm.
The field is 19,50m long. This is the distance between the goal (bocín) and the zone where the players are. The bocín is a 15 cm circle with some triangles made of gunpower called mechas. The idea is to throw the tejos to make the mechas explode. In case no mecha explodes, the winner is the person or the team whose tejo is closer to the bocín.

The natives usually drank the common chicha. These days we have replaced it with beer and also some other spirits like aguardiente, an anise drink.

In spite of the fact that it’s a very cool sport, it’s not very common among the young people. In case you are interested in Colombia there are some championships. You can play alone, with a partner or in a team, it’s up to you!

If you have never heard about tejo, I’d suggest you watch this video and get to know this wonderful game.

Below is our list of the Top 10 Programs for Study Abroad in Spanish. To read the article introducing our study abroad feature click here. If you want to know more about how & why this list came to be, click here.

1.	Int'l Studies Abroad (ISA): (University)
		International Studies Abroad offers a language and culture program in Mexico which are both is academically challenging and culturally rewarding. Info: Spanish knowledge required, extensive Alumni club http://www.studiesabroad.com
2.	Arcadia University: (University)
		The Arcadia University Center for Study Abroad offers more than 100 fully accredited undergraduate programs in 14 countries, as well as internships, field research, and service learning opportunities, for a semester, summer, or academic year. In Spain, both immersion and language & culture programs are offered in Toledo, Barcelona, & Granada. Info: American students only eligible, Foreign language only required for select programs http://www.arcadia.edu/abroad
3.	Nicaragua Summer: (High School)
		Nicaragua Summer Exchange is a fully supervised high school exchange program that provides aspiring young Spanish speakers with a truly authentic immersion experience. The program structure provides a perfect balance between cultural immersion, youth dynamics and adventure activities. Info: Spanish proficiency required, extensive student support http://www.highschoolspanish.org/
4.	Abroadco: (University)
		Abroadco offers programs in Madrid and Granada that combine Language and culture classes at a study center (taught in English), and immersion electives at a local host university. Students have the option of homestay with a Spanish family, or student apartments. Info: Multiple housing options available, Some Spanish required www.abroadco.com
5.	Road 2 Argentina: (University)
		Road2Argentina offers a semester/year program at both the Universidad de Belgrano and the Universidad de Buenos Aires. Courses are available in English, Spanish (designed for international students) & from the general university catalog (classes with Argentines). This program is ideal for students who wish to receive university transfer credit. Info: No previous Spanish required, All nationalities welcome (visa required for some countries) www.road2argentina.com
6.	Rotary Exchange: (High School)
		Rotary is a worldwide organization that provides the opportunity to attend one year of High School in a Spanish-speaking country, living with a host family and learning about the culture and language – but more than that, the student engages in some local outreach about his or her own culture, as an ambassador of his or her country. Info: Worldwide participants welcome, Participation as cultural ambassador required, Scholarships available http://www.rotaryexchangemn.com/
7.	Erasmus: (University)
		The ERASMUS programme, or European Region Action Scheme for the Mobility of University Students, forms a major part of the European Union's Lifelong Learning Programme. It provides higher education students within the EU with the opportunity to spend one semester or academic year in Spain on exchange. Info: Scholarships available, Only EU students eligible, Spanish knowledge required http://ec.europa.eu/education/lifelong-learning-programme/doc80_en.htm
8.	AFS: (High School)
		AFS-USA works toward a more just and peaceful world by providing international and intercultural learning experiences to individuals, families, schools, and communities through a global volunteer partnership. Students have the opportunity to spend a year of High School living with a host family, and studying at a local high school. Info: All nationalities welcome, Extensive student support http://www.usa.afs.org/usa_en/home
9.	USAC: (University)
		Established in 1982, the University Studies Abroad Consortium has assisted thousands of students in studying abroad and has grown to include 39 programs in 25 countries. Students have the option to learns Spanish in Spain, Mexico, and South America. Info: Open to all students, No prerequisites in language proficiency (updated) http://usac.unr.edu/usac/default.aspx
10.	Expanish: (University)
		Expanish is a local organization in South America with a wide range of resources and a broad network that function to expand the student experience by providing the opportunity for cultural integration through skill workshops, weekend excursions, homestays, & daily activities. Learning is facilitated through practical experiences with the language, in addition to formal instruction at our Spanish language schools. Info: All nationalities encouraged to apply, Extensive student support http://www.expanishstudyabroad.com/

Find the Top Study Abroad Program Button here to add it to your website!

Colombia has big cities as any other country and if you take a look at the atlas you will realize that beyond jungle we have also a desert, two oceans and a plain. Due to its geographical position, there are no real seasons there; we have some rainy months and some sunny ones. Besides that, the temperature changes from one city into another. Bogotá is for example far colder than Cali, Medellín is warmer than Pasto; and Santa Marta, Cartagena and Barranquilla are warm cities since they are on the cost. If you are planning to travel to many cities, I’d suggest you enjoy the weather as much as possible - the temperatures won’t be more than 35°C – unless you are in the desert, La Guajira- and they won’t go down more than 2°C. In any case you can buy a jacket, clothing is quite cheap there.

The traditional Colombian food is also very different from zone to zone. You will find mainly fish in the North, if you are interested. We used to eat many fried foods, as well as potatoes, beans, rice, plantains, yucca, or manioc; in spite of this fact, Colombians are not obese. You may also discover all the fruits we have - you will love them.

Regarding the language I must say that you shouldn’t expect people on the street to understand English. They will do their best to help you. Some of them might get what you mean, but it’s not for sure. In order to avoid this uncomfortable situation and to enlarge your knowledge, I’d suggest you to learn some basic Spanish, don’t be lazy, it’s pretty easy.

Good Morning: Buenos días or buen día in some cities like Cali.

Good afternoon: Buenas tardes

Good evening or Good Night: Buenas noches (we don’t have “evening”, our “night” starts at 19H)

Hi or Hello: Hola

How are you? : ¿Cómo estás?

Fine and you? : Bien y ¿tú?

Hi (at the phone) Aló

Bye: Chao

We have two personal pronouns that make difference between formality and informality. However, no one will get upset if you used tú (informal) instead of usted (formal). In some regions, we use “vos” which can substitute “tú”.

There are some many other things to say about Colombia. So I hope you find useful this short information when traveling to Colombia and don’t forget to let yourself be surprised by my country.

Al igual que la mayoría de países de Latinoamérica, en Colombia las tradiciones están ligadas a la religión católica. Todo comienza el 30 de noviembre, cuando a las 12 de la noche se encienden juegos pirotécnicos anunciando que llegó la Navidad. Es entonces cuando se le da la bienvenida a una nueva y tal vez la mejor época del año: la Navidad.

La celebración continúa el 7 de diciembre con “El día de las velitas”, fecha en la que se encienden velas por toda la ciudad en honor a la virgen María.

Una semana y un día después, el 16, comienza La Novena de Aguinaldos. Durante estos días, la familia se reune alrededor del pesebre para conmemorar la perenigración de María y José. Casi siempre las novenas rotan de una casa a la otra y cada miembro de la familia trae comida para compartir. Las novenas son mucho más que tiempo para rezar, son momentos para compartir en familia.

En la noche del 24, la familia se reúne de nuevo para compartir la cena de Navidad, también se acostumbra intercambiar regalos antes de la medianoche, pues a esa hora llega el Niño Dios, quien trae los presentes para los niños. ¿Cómo sabe el niño Dios, qué es lo que quieren los niños? Es muy fácil, los niños le escriben una carta pidiéndole aquello que más desean.

Todos estos eventos van acompañados por especialidades navideñas:

Buñuelos, que son esferas pequeñas preparadas con queso, harina y que luego se fríen. A diferencia de otros países, los buñuelos en Colombia siempre son salados. Estos se acompañan con natilla, un postre hecho con maíz, leche, azúcar; algunas personas utilizan clavos y canela. Las empanadas son también un muy buen acompañante. Otro postre muy conocido es el postre de las tres leches, que se hace con leche y azucar. En otras partes del país, principalemente en la costa atlántica, se acostumbra comer arroz con coco.

En cuestión de bebidas hay varias. Aunque el aguardiente es la más tradicional, también se toma ron, cerveza, champaña y vino.

Como es un tiempo para compartir, muchas organizaciones y medios de comunicación llaman a la solidaridad de todos los colombianos a través de diferentes campañas que buscan alegrar la Navidad a cuidadanos desafortunados. Entre las más exitosas se encuentran la que se realiza en pro de los soldados heridos en combate: “Campaña soldado herido”, y aquella que reune juguetes nuevos para los niños: "Regala Sonrisas".