The prayer is done between the 16^th and 24^th of December  and usually relatives and friends sit by the Nativity Scene and the Christmas tree accompanied by guitars, drums, or whaterver thing that makes noise, specially to accompany the songs of the ‘gozos’ and the Christmas carrols we sing at the end  when there's also time to share some food.

 
After the prayer takes place (about 10 minutes), the families usually have some typical Colombian dishes specially done for Christmas such as ‘buñuelos’ (fritter), ‘natilla’ (custard) or sometimes wine and cookies.  

Among the different festivities we have during December, there´s one called ´la noche de las velitas´.  Today and tomorrow (december 7^th and 8^th)  we light as many candles as we can. on the street, on the windows, on the houses´terrace.

On the one hand, it is the Virgin Mary´s day and  on the other hand it represents the beginning of all Christmas activities.  It is a way to show that we light our heart and we keep hope alive.   December 7^th  is also the date for the openning  of the different  cultural events held at churches, parks and squares. Some of them are singing the Christmas carols on the main parks of each city, placing the traditional nativity scenes (at home, at church, in the park and so on) and read the ´novena de navidad´(a sort of prayer we do between the 16^th and 24^th of December reminding the most important facts before ‘el nacimiento del niño Dios’ or Child Jesus’ birth)

And you, do you have any special celebration on December 7^th and 8^th?