Sal y Dulce Latin American Christmas Festival

Acción Colombia has celebrated our renowned Latin American Christmas Festival “Sal y Dulce” for 14 consecutive years, thus creating a tradition in the Delaware Valley. The motivation of the “Sal y Dulce” Festival is to share with the Latino community (in particular and other communities in general) the festival of the Alumbrados that is repeated throughout towns and cities in many Latin American countries, during the night of December 7, on the eve of the feast of the Virgin of the Immaculate Conception celebrated by the Catholic people throughout the world. The custom of lighting with candles and lanterns on this day dates back to December 8, 1854, when Pope Pius IX declared the dogma of the Immaculate Conception of Mary. The people showed their joy by lighting candles and lanterns. This became an annual custom and gave way to the popular celebration that began to be called La Noche del Alumbrado or the Day of the Candles in Colombia is done in a very special way. All the houses, parks and squares of towns and cities are adorned with the light of lanterns and candles, becoming a spectacle of great beauty and color, a prelude to the Christmas festivities. Acción Colombia has been celebrating the “Sal y Dulce” Festival for fourteen years, to integrate the Latino community of the Philadelphia area and their families around this popular tradition and make it the opening to the Christmas spirit. During a festive afternoon, the festival offers its visitors the options of tasting the typical foods of Colombia and various Latin American regions, enjoying activities and contests for children, having fun with the exhibition and sale of handicrafts, all this enlivened by the variety of musical and dance groups that have been part of this event.

Each year the festival has a Guest Country as host to present the cultural richness of the selected country. In addition, the festival pays tribute to a character from the cultural and artistic world of Colombia, as ambassadors of our culture. For several years, the award ceremony for the Lantern Contest has been one of the central activities of the festival. In recent years, the Lantern Making Workshop was implemented, which takes place on the same day of the festival.