Epiphany in Colombia

Meaning of Epiphany

The Colombian Episcopal Conference explains Epiphany as the manifestation of Jesus to the wider world, represented in the Gospel story by the Magi who come to worship the newborn Jesus. The Catholic celebration is also known as the Feast of the Three Kings; the Conference describes the Magi’s gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh as part of the story’s religious meaning.[3]

Epiphany has an older history beyond Colombia. The Conference says it began to be celebrated in the East in the third century and was adopted in the West during the fourth century.[3]

A Colombian public holiday

Law 51 of 1983 grants workers in both the public and private sectors paid rest for listed religious and civic holidays. It includes January 6 among the holidays whose rest day moves to the following Monday when the date does not fall on a Monday; if it falls on a Sunday, the rest day also moves to Monday. The law also says holiday pay is calculated like Sunday rest pay.[1]

This rule is why Colombia’s day off for Epiphany can fall after January 6. Banco de la República describes the occasion as a bank holiday and says its observance follows the first Monday from January 6.[1][2]

A local celebration in Bogotá

Epiphany also has local cultural expressions. Bogotá’s District Secretariat of Culture, Recreation and Sport describes the Fiesta de Reyes Magos y Epifanía in the Egipto neighborhood as one of the city’s oldest cultural traditions and says it has remained alive there for more than two centuries.[4]

Work, banks and travel

The statutory paid rest applies to workers in both public and private employment. Banco de la República identifies Epiphany as a bank holiday. Check local services and individual businesses before making plans.[1][2]