FROM THE ARCHIVES: Colombian Culture – Family in Colombia

When I disembarked at Bogotá airport last year I was greeted by a smiling (and slightly relieved) Marcela. We got in her car and began driving, speaking excitedly about my upcoming travels in Colombia. As the conversation unraveled, I began to glean that there were plans for that very night with Marcela and her family. There was a party, I was told, and I was invited.

We arrived at the place I was staying, I got showered, donned a shirt and hopped back in the car. We drove around Bogotá for a good hour picking up Marcela’s family, which was great for me as I was able to see a lot of the city (although in my disorientated state it’s hard to remember what was what). In got her parents, in got her fiancé, in got her brother and in got her young niece. This little girl, I later realized, was my first clue about the nature of the upcoming party, but the whole truth wasn’t revealed to me until we arrived.

At the house was more family, a house brimming with adults bustling around trying to help each other get to the food, kids in another room laughing and screaming. We began drinking and eating and I gradually began to let go of my guilt that everyone was speaking English to me (at that time I spoke Spanish quite poorly). The food was delicious, and that night I took my first taste of aguardiente, taking a hit in between glasses of Colombian-brewed rum with cola.

Suddenly, the lights went out. I turned around and the children were huddled around the table, where a faint glow permeated. It was a birthday cake. 8 candles. One child climbed onto a chair and took a deep, deep breath until his cheeks turned red. We all began singing happy birthday (yes, in English). It hit me. I was at an 8 year old’s birthday party on my first night in Colombia.

It was my first two lessons in Colombian culture: family comes first and, traveler, you are family.

This wasn’t the last time I was received into a family with open arms. As I found out that night, the striking thing about Colombians is not only how family-oriented they are, but how quick they are to make you one of them. I’ve been invited to family graduations, family dinners and family reunions. Without exception everyone there made me feel absolutely at home, making sure at every turn that I was happy, well-fed and, quite often, drunk.

Family is and has always been incredibly important to Colombians, especially in the Paisa region (where you’ll find Medellín and the Coffee Triangle). There, families stick together throughout everything and it’s not uncommon for them to live together, too. Paisa families are often very large (as is the case with Marcela’s), but don’t feel bad if you forget names, in Colombia you can get away with saying señor and señora.

Families are constantly in contact and, almost without fail, every Sunday will take a trip to a restaurant together. Living in Bogotá I’ve been taken to the surrounding villages such as Chia and La Mesa for a huge bandeja paisa. It’s reassuring and heartwarming to see a strong family tradition still alive and well, and if you’re invited into a family home by one of your Colombian friends, be sure to take them up on it.

Ryan