by Mateo, age 9, asks Nino Jesus do you come down the chimney like Santa?, about the Andes Mountains near Bogota, and Colombia’s Dia de las Velitas
Dear Nino Jesus,
My name is Mateo and I am 9 years old. I live in Bogota, Colombia, where every December seventh my whole street lights tiny candles and paper lanterns along the sidewalk for Dia de las Velitas.
First, do you come down the chimney like Santa?
Second, a geography question: what mountain range runs right past Bogota?
Third, a school question about my country: why do Colombians light candles for Dia de las Velitas in December?
I left you buñuelos and hot chocolate.
Love, Mateo, age 9, Bogota, Colombia, Bogota, Colombia
From the Desk of Nino Jesus
Dear Mateo, thank you for the treat, it was wonderful. Now, your questions.
Do you come down the chimney like Santa?
Not through a chimney exactly, my arrival is a bit gentler and quieter than that, more a felt presence than a literal entrance.
What mountain range runs right past Bogota?
Bogota sits high in the Andes Mountains, more than two and a half kilometers above sea level, making it one of the highest capital cities in the world, and the thin, cool mountain air always makes for a crisp, clear Christmas Eve flight.
Why do Colombians light candles for Dia de las Velitas in December?
Dia de las Velitas, the Day of the Little Candles, is celebrated on December 7th in honor of the Immaculate Conception, and families light candles and paper lanterns along streets and balconies to mark the unofficial beginning of the Christmas season, filling whole neighborhoods with soft, glowing light.
Feliz Navidad, Mateo.
Ho ho ho, Nino Jesus
