▁events , ▁from ▁fire work ▁shows ▁to ▁compet itions . ▁ ▁Background ▁▁ ▁The ▁celebr ation ▁of ▁the ▁Night ▁of ▁the ▁Little ▁Cand les ▁dates ▁to ▁December ▁ 7 , ▁ 1 8 5 4 , ▁when ▁Pope ▁P ius ▁IX ▁defined ▁as ▁dog ma ▁the ▁Im mac ulate ▁Con ception ▁of ▁the ▁Virgin ▁Mary , ▁published ▁in ▁his ▁Apost ol ic ▁constitution ▁I ne ff abil is ▁De us . ▁In ▁anticip ation ▁of ▁this ▁decision , ▁people ▁lit ▁cand les ▁and ▁paper ▁lan tern s ▁to ▁show ▁their ▁support ▁and ▁belief ▁in ▁this ▁idea . ▁ ▁In ▁Colombia , ▁as ▁in ▁many ▁places ▁all ▁over ▁the ▁world , ▁this ▁announ cement ▁was ▁observed ▁by ▁light ing ▁cand les . ▁The ▁Catholic ▁Church ▁of ▁Colombia ▁kept ▁alive ▁the ▁celebr ation ▁and ▁made ▁an ▁annual ▁tradition ▁of ▁light ing ▁cand les ▁the ▁night ▁of ▁December ▁ 7 . ▁ ▁Some ▁places ▁celebr ate ▁the ▁night ▁of ▁the ▁little ▁cand les ▁several ▁night s ▁before ▁December ▁ 8 , ▁particularly ▁in ▁the ▁P ais a ▁region . ▁ ▁This ▁is ▁believed ▁to ▁derive ▁from ▁a ▁han uk k ah ▁tradition ▁since ▁a ▁large ▁number ▁of ▁p ais as ▁are ▁from ▁Jewish ▁descent . ▁This ▁can ▁be ▁aff ir med ▁with ▁the ▁beginning ▁of ▁the ▁Nov enas ▁in ▁which ▁th ru ▁the ▁ 1 6 th ▁of ▁December ▁families ▁gather ▁and ▁give ▁ag u inal d os , ▁presents , ▁to ▁each ▁other , ▁similar ▁to ▁the ▁Han uk k ah ▁celebr ation . ▁