Why Don't Colombians Know Their Holidays?

adrienne79 says on Jun 29, 2008, 11:32:

It's amazing isn't it?!? Recently,the Friday before one of the holidays I asked my 6th grade Colombian students what the holiday was that we were going to have the following Monday. In a class of about 20 students not one could tell me. They just kept saying who cares, enjoy it, there is no school or work. LOL! Also, around May 5th there was a holiday. I made it a mission to find out what holiday it was. I was in Santa Marta and walked the streets asking everyone what the holiday was. The best answer one could give me was that it is something religious and there is no work. I find it funny how they have som many holiday, enjoy now work, no school and no one knows why. Isn't it nice!

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tejasmarcos says on Jun 29, 2008, 11:34:

is this a cultural difference or just indifference? what is the # of holidays in colombia compared to the USA/Europe?

trying to walk a straight line on sour mash and cheap wine...

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deejboram says on Jun 29, 2008, 11:44:

TM,

I think a lot of American youth won't know the meaning behind a few of our holidays. Namely,

1. Memorial Day
2. Labor Day
(not everyone recognizes the next few as holidays)
3. Colombus Day
4. Good Friday
5. Veterans Day

I've never been to Colombia but I found a lot of the same lacking of "common/general" knkowledge in Peru and Bolivia. But maybe it's because USA only has a handful of holidays and those days are forced upon us to remember. Like 4th of July and Cinco de Mayo;)

Deej

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CatGirl says on Jun 29, 2008, 12:21:

They have Many holidays or at least, they celebrate/observe them more often (from my exp). Many times, Americans only personally celebrate a few chose biggies and that's about it.

This is a repeat subject I think because I could have sworn someone listed them all (Desi or Lila maybe) in a Post a few months back ;))

Love and Time: the only two things that cannot be bought, but only spent

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Desideria (Moderator) says on Jun 29, 2008, 12:40:

Public holidays in Colombia
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The following are public holidays in Colombia:

Año Nuevo (New Year's Day) (January 1)
Día de los Reyes Magos (Epiphany) (January 6*)
Día de San José (Saint Joseph's Day) (March 19*)
Jueves Santo (Maundy Thursday) and Viernes Santo (Good Friday) (variable dates in March or April)
Primero de Mayo (Labor Day) (May 1)
Ascensión (Ascension of Jesus) (observed the Monday six weeks after Easter)
Corpus Christi (observed the Monday nine weeks after Easter)
Sagrado Corazón (Sacred Heart) (observed the Monday ten weeks after Easter)
San Pedro y San Pablo (Saint Peter and Saint Paul) (June 29*)
Independence Day (July 20)
Battle of Boyacá (August 7)
La Asunción (Assumption of Mary) (August 15*)
Día de la Raza (Columbus Day) (October 12)
All Saints’ Day (November 1*)
Independence of Cartagena City (November 11*)
La Inmaculada Concepción (Immaculate Conception) (December 8)
Navidad (Christmas Day) (December 25)

Note: * Movable holiday: when they do not fall on a Monday, these holidays are observed the following Monday

"I have opinions of my own, strong opinions, but I don't always agree with them."-President George W. Bush

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lpdiver says on Jun 29, 2008, 13:38:

Well that is typical with USA holidays. At all of my jobs for the last few decades I receive 15-17.

ts

"cook some rice!"

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houstongal says on Jun 29, 2008, 15:15:

Holy cow lpdiver....are you working for a bank or something?

The company I work for only offers 8 official holidays - New Year's Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving day and the day after, Christmas. But we also have 2 personal days and a generous vacation policy.

Culture is language and language is culture - Dr. Annamaria Napolitano

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dwmte7 says on Jun 30, 2008, 04:18:

amen, marcos. back in the day, when i had a ton of employees in and around medellin, i would ask them what the holiday was. virtually none had a clue. what it translated to, was a day off. finally, i told all of them. since i pay you double the pay recd anyplace else. when it comes to a holiday, you work, i pay you. you take the day off, no pay. period. it seemed like there owas a holiday every week.

one of my employees told me she was gonna turn me in to somebody. i told her she was fired..that way she would have reason to 'bitch'. she had been a problem child on more than one occassion. it didn't take her long to repent and get back in line.

dwmte

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viajero123 says on Jun 30, 2008, 06:54:

Well dwmte7, depending on the job and type of contract, it probably is illegal to not pay a holiday if they didn't work it. And in all cases, working on a holiday entitles to 1.5 or 2 times the regular day pay.
She was right she could have turned you in. You probably abused of your position to fire her for that reason, maybe knowing she didn't know how to really defend herself and have labour laws enforced.

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durito says on Jun 30, 2008, 10:34:

i don´t think i´d be able to remember 124 holdays either

i remember several times now i´ve worked all morning on a monday only to go outside later and realize everyone else here is on a holiday

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durito says on Jun 30, 2008, 10:36:

Well that is typical with USA holidays. At all of my jobs for the last few decades I receive 15-17.

15-17 holdays in the US or Vacation days?

Certainly you mean vacation. My last job I was expected to work mon-sat everyweek of the year. the only holiday given off was christmas.

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dwmte7 says on Jun 30, 2008, 10:42:

viajero....right or wrong. one thing having money does for you in colombia. it gives you priviledge. i paid double the going rate, paid medical...not just for workers, but for their kids, bought clothes, sent kids to opthamologists, provided lunch for an army of workers...i was the good guy and definitely not the bad one. i would have shit-canned that gal in a heart beat. i should have long before carrying her cryin/complaining ass along until she received liquidation. and they all got that too. colombian companies don't do any of that. if they do ANY of it, it's rare like chicken teeth.

dwmte

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dwmte7 says on Jun 30, 2008, 10:45:

i never had a worker that could tell me what the holiday was...la dia de st maynard the lame. even my wife and her family would scratch their head. if it wasn't christmas, someone's birthday, pasqua, dia de madres/padres or the like, it's work or no pay. sometimes there'ld be two holidays in the same week. i just said fuck it. used the typical holidays we have here and left it at that.

dwmte

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kat1 (Moderator) says on Jun 30, 2008, 10:50:

I must admit i do remember the national ones, but those Religious one i get confuse and since some of them have been move to Mondays even worst and we have to many, easy to loose track of all of them

engage brain before opening mouth

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aztec says on Jun 30, 2008, 18:01:

If you use Microsoft Office 2007 you can automatically add all Colombian Holidays to your calender. Click under calender options and select holidays. Done!

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goin_south says on Jun 30, 2008, 18:04:

Does that one yesterday about Peter & Paul have anything to do with almond joy?

Colombia es

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