Eza Chavez

@ezachavez · 22 Nov 2021

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Day 4: The novenas of Christmas

#iamacreator    #traditionsatchristmas      #merrychristmas

From December 16 to 24, many Colombians gather around the manger to celebrate the Christmas novenas, a time to share and thank God for the blessings received.

At this time the traditional carols are sung, fritters, custard and tamale are served, they are nine days before Christmas, usually done in different houses, the ninth with strenna includes presents where games are often played (we will tell in a new post)

According to history it tells us that the Strenna Novena was written almost three centuries ago by a Franciscan priest.

*The Cultural Network of the Banco de la República says that Ecuadorian friar Fernando de Jesús Larrea (1700 - 1733) began writing it, when he was just 25 years old, commissioned by Mrs. Clemencia de Jesús Caycedo Velez, who founded the well-known school La Enseñencia, in Bogotá
What the woman wanted was a book to commemorate the arrival in the world of the Child God, as well as the days before her, such as the journey of the three wise men from the East to reach Bethlehem and celebrate the birth of Jesus.

Thus, not only was the song of the “Sweet Jesus Mio” created, but the Novena, which is celebrated only in Ecuador and Colombia, except for some populations of Venezuela.

The first 52-page version of the book was published in 1784, although Banco de la República only has one version of one copy published in 1843. From then on, it is said, the celebration of the Novena became popular.

And if the founder of the Teaching school was the one who commissioned the writing of the Novena, a nun of this institution, Bertilda Samper Acosta, adapted it: she added the Prayer to the Child Jesus (adaptation of a text in French) and the new joys.

Although the Novena de Aguinaldos is a tradition almost exclusive to Colombia, the novena — without the Christmas bonus — is a Catholic ritual in which, for nine days (or months), a specific saint is asked for help in realizing some intention.

According to the Catholic Church, one of the most important novenas has historically been that of preparation for Christmas, celebrated since the middle ages in Spain and France, to commemorate the pregnancy of the Virgin Mary.

As for the word Aguinaldo, it translates “gift given at Christmas”, according to the Royal Spanish Academy (RAE), which is why, part of the custom in the Novena, is to share gifts and even food: custard and fritters*.

Source: https://www.infobae.com/

Prayer for every day of the novena
Blessed God of infinite charity, that you loved men so much, that you gave them in your son the pledge of your love, that made man in the womb of a Virgin would be born in a manger for our health and remedy; I, in the name of all mortals, give you infinite thanks for such sovereign benefit.
In return from him I offer you the poverty, humility and other virtues of your humaned son, begging you for his divine merits, for the discomforts in which he was born and for the tender tears he shed in the manger, that you lay our hearts with deep humility, with kindling love, with such contempt of all things earthly, so that Jesus newborn have in them their cradle and more eternally.
Amen. (Glory to the Father is prayed three times).

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Como celebra la navidad tu familia?
Christmas is a worldwide holiday, the birth of the baby Jesus and the end of the year we almost always celebrate with the closest family and friends, each family has unique and diverse Christmas traditions, many depend on the country where they are or where they are, also culture, education influence and much more religion.

This invitation is ideal for you to tell us about those traditions that have been maintained over the years in your home, so I invite you to make a post where you include photos of your own that illustrate us about your family christmas .

I give you ideas, for example:
Tell us if they adorn the Christmas tree on a special day or make a manger?
What is your country's Christmas dinner ? some special tradition you want to tell us.


Make sure you use the tags #iamacreator #traditionsatchristmas #merrychristmas

Invite 2 friends to participate and leave this challenge link in your post.

In this third post I invite you to participate @Ernesto Amador and @naf1971naf I would love to know their traditions, they in turn will invite two people who will do the same so we will meet and enjoy christmas learning.

#LoMejorDeCOlombia

Photo: @Franco Mendoza Photo