▁the ▁region ▁during ▁the ▁ 1 8 5 0 s . ▁The ▁colonial ist ' s ▁Catholic ▁trad itions ▁of ▁using ▁cand le light ▁to ▁celebr ate ▁the ▁Im mac ulate ▁Con ception ▁was ▁combined ▁with ▁belief ▁of ▁the ▁local ▁Qu imb aya ▁tribe ▁in ▁the ▁effect ▁that ▁fire ▁() ▁had ▁in ▁protect ing ▁against ▁pan ther ▁attacks ▁as ▁p um as ▁and ▁other ▁local ▁fa una ▁are ▁believed ▁to ▁fear ▁fire . ▁Thus , ▁in ▁an ▁instance ▁of ▁religious ▁syn cret ism , ▁the ▁Al um br ado ▁de ▁Nav idad ▁and ▁the ▁symbol ism ▁of ▁the ▁p uma ▁to ▁native ▁pe op les ▁were ▁linked . ▁ ▁It ▁is ▁still ▁a ▁common ▁occurrence ▁to ▁display ▁the ▁symbol ▁of ▁the ▁pan ther ▁( in ▁the ▁form ▁of ▁sculpt ures ▁made ▁of ▁terra ▁c otta , ▁cloth , ▁pl astic , ▁etc .) ▁in ▁conj unction ▁with ▁the ▁light ing ▁of ▁cand les ▁on ▁the ▁night ▁of ▁December ▁the ▁ 7 th . ▁Such ▁religious ▁syn cret ism ▁is ▁especially ▁visible ▁in ▁the ▁rural ▁pue bl os ▁of ▁Qu ind io ▁where ▁many ▁residents ▁claim ▁full ▁or ▁partial ▁descent ▁from ▁Qu imb aya ▁native ▁pe op les ▁of ▁the ▁region . ▁ ▁In ▁Bog ot á , ▁the ▁Christmas ▁decor ations ▁reach ▁their ▁peak ▁on ▁this ▁day ; ▁the ▁city , ▁fully ▁decor ated , ▁plans ▁late ▁activities ▁for ▁the ▁whole ▁family ▁since ▁most ▁Colomb ians ▁would ▁be ▁out ▁and ▁about ▁adm iring ▁the ▁shows , ▁many ▁streets ▁close ▁to ▁traffic ▁and ▁allow