▁Trad itions ▁▁ ▁El ▁D ía ▁de ▁las ▁Vel itas ▁is ▁celebrated ▁throughout ▁Colombia , ▁but ▁trad itions ▁vary ▁in ▁each ▁region ▁and ▁city . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁municipality ▁of ▁Qu imb aya , ▁in ▁Qu ind ío ▁Department ▁the ▁most ▁important ▁cultural ▁event ▁is ▁the ▁Cand les ▁and ▁Lan tern s ▁Festival ▁( full ▁name ▁in ▁), ▁which ▁began ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 2 ▁and ▁is ▁held ▁each ▁year ▁on ▁ 7 ▁and ▁ 8 ▁December . ▁Each ▁of ▁the ▁neighborhood s ▁in ▁the ▁town ship ▁compet es ▁to ▁produce ▁the ▁most ▁spect ac ular ▁light ing ▁arrang ements , ▁and ▁many ▁visitors ▁come ▁from ▁throughout ▁Colombia ▁to ▁adm ire ▁the ▁displays . ▁ ▁The ▁Qu imb ay an ▁Christmas ▁Pan ther ▁is ▁an ▁ind igen ous ▁figure ▁recognized ▁by ▁native ▁and ▁mest izo ▁communities ▁in ▁the ▁Qu ind ío ▁Department ▁of ▁Colombia . ▁Bel ief ▁in ▁the ▁Christmas ▁Pan ther ▁( el ▁p uma ▁de ▁nav idad ) ▁has ▁developed ▁throughout ▁the ▁history ▁of ▁the ▁Qu imb ay an ▁hol iday ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁Al um br ado ▁de ▁Nav idad ▁( see ▁Fe ast ▁of ▁the ▁Im mac ulate ▁Con ception ), ▁celebrated ▁on ▁the ▁ 7 th ▁of ▁December ▁in ▁recognition ▁of ▁the ▁Roman ▁Catholic ▁belief ▁in ▁the ▁Im mac ulate ▁Con ception ▁of ▁the ▁B less ed ▁Virgin ▁Mary . ▁It ▁is ▁believed ▁that ▁the ▁significance ▁of ▁the ▁p uma ▁st ems ▁from ▁the ▁arrival ▁of ▁eth n ically ▁Spanish ▁colonial ists ▁from ▁Ant io quia ▁in