Día de Amor y Amistad (Day of Love and Friendship) is celebrated the third Saturday of September every year in Colombia. This is essentially the Valentine’s Day of Colombia. This is a traditional celebration in Colombia in which lovers, husbands and wives, couples and friends express their love and affection. In Colombia, normally for weeks before this day in September you will start to see hearts adorn restaurants, shops and bars.
In 2024, Día de Amor y Amistad in Colombia is on Saturday, September 21.
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History of Valentine’s Day (a.k.a. Saint Valentine’s Day)
February 14 marks Valentine’s Day, a joyous celebration of love and friendship around the globe. It’s a day filled with flowers, chocolates, romantic dinners, and sweet secret messages shared between loved ones. While some see it as a commercial holiday, others believe it is rooted in ancient traditions and fascinating historical and religious legends.
Historical trace of the Celebration of Valentine's Day
The origin of Valentine's Day can be traced back to ancient Rome and a story about a bishop from the Catholic Church who was martyred on February 14.
Supposedly, Claudius prohibited marriage for young men. He claimed that bachelor made for better soldiers. But Valentine continued to perform marriage ceremonies in secret. He was eventually apprehended by the Romans and put to death.
Another legend has it that Valentine, who was imprisoned by Claudius, fell in love with a daughter of his jailer. Before he was executed, he supposedly sent her a letter signed "from your Valentine."
Chaucer and Shakespeare both romanticized Valentine's Day in their work. Consequently, it gained popularity throughout Britain.
Valentine’s Day eventually it made its way to the U.S. and Hallmark Cards started mass producing Valentine cards in 1913, which was the start of massive commercialization of Valentine's Day in the U.S. since that moment on every February 14th.
Valentine's Day, celebrated worldwide, transforms cities into romantic hubs with couples everywhere. In 2024, Americans spent a remarkable $751 million on the occasion, according to the National Retail Federation (NRF).
In Colombia, the Amor y Amistad Day festivities also saw growth. A recent Fenalco survey revealed that 84% of Colombians celebrated in 2023, up 5% from the previous year, leading to a slight increase in gift budgets.
History of Amor y Amistad
In several Latin American countries, including Colombia, Valentine’s Day is celebrated as Día de Amor y Amistad. While many countries, even in Latin America, observe Valentine’s Day on February 14—the most popular date worldwide—Colombia made a notable change.
Specifically, in 1969, Colombia shifted the celebration to the third Saturday of September. Reportedly, merchants sought this change to boost sales of roses and chocolates during a month with no major holidays. Moreover, other Latin American countries also celebrate on different dates. For instance, Bolivia observes this day on July 23, while Brazil celebrates Día de los Novios on June 12. February 14 is not used in Brazil due to its proximity to Carnival.
Colombian Customs to Celebrate Amor y Amistad Day
In Colombia, Amor y Amistad consists of exciting traditions in September. Although the official day is the third Saturday, the entire month is filled with anticipation, fostering a festive atmosphere. This period encourages gatherings, generosity, and heartfelt expressions of affection, creating beautiful memories and cherishing bonds of love and friendship.
"Amigo Secreto" or Secret Friend
The first tradition is called “Secret Friend.” It starts with everyone’s names written on pieces of paper and placed in a bag. Then, each person randomly selects a name and exchanges gifts on the day of the celebration. The best part? On that day, everyone gets to reveal their “secret friend” in a fun and exciting way. The fun and suspense of not knowing who your gift is from adds an exciting twist to the holiday season.
"La Endulzada" or The Sweetened
The tradition of the ‘secret friend’ gave rise to another delightful tradition called “la endulzada” or “sweetened.” In the ‘sweetened’ tradition, participants express their love and affection for their “secret friend” by secretly gifting them candies, chocolates, cookies, fruits, or other agreed-upon treats. The exciting part of this tradition is giving the ‘”sweeteneds” daily until the discovery of the identity of the secret friend. This is a beautiful way to create a countdown using small edible items as a lead-up to revealing a secret friend and giving a final gift.
Romantic Dinners
Many restaurants require reservations for a romantic dinner on Día de Amor y Amistad. Since the best spots are often fully booked well ahead of time, making reservations early is wise.
In Medellín, four of my favorite restaurants for this special day are Carmen, La Octava Maravilla Mirador, Kampanas, and Bárbaro Cocina Primitiva. If you choose a restaurant that doesn’t take reservations, arrive early to secure a spot on this popular dining day. Additionally, some restaurants offer extra touches— for instance, Tony Roma’s, located in the revolving restaurant atop Hotel Dann Carlton in El Poblado, Medellín, can set up a table with roses for an additional fee, as shown in the photo.
If you want to know how it feels to have a secret friend or receive some “sweetened”, you only have to celebrate this special month with us. At Medellin Guru, we have partnered with expatgroup.co to celebrate Amor y Amistad Day with you. You can benefit from up to 40% discount on Colombian visas, Real Estate, and business services by clicking the button below.
up to 40% discount to celebrate Amor y Amistad
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Typical Romantic Gifts in Colombia
In Colombia, gifts for this day vary based on budget and the recipient, whether a friend or a partner. Generally, romantic gifts are similar to those given on Valentine’s Day in the U.S., including chocolates, flowers, cards, a romantic dinner, dancing, movie invitations, cuddly toys, jewelry, clothing, and perfume. Moreover, you can find inexpensive roses in Medellín, with a dozen or even two dozen roses priced between 6,000 and 10,000 Colombian pesos (2 to 4 USD).
Where to find gifts?
Medellín has many malls. The largest malls in Medellín include Viva Envigado, Santafé, El Tesoro, Mayorca Mega Plaza, Premium Plaza, Oviedo, Los Molinos, Unicentro, San Diego, Florida Parque and Puerta Del Norte and some others that you can find in the guide to the best malls in Medellín. Also, the big grocery chains like Exito and Jumbo will sell gifts like flowers, candy, and baskets for the day.
In addition, you can find gifts at the many small tiendas in El Centro, which usually have better prices. For example, El Hueco in El Centro is an area full of thousands of shops of all types.
Do's and Don'ts for Amor y Amistad Celebrations
When celebrating “Amor y Amistad” in Colombia with your partner, friends, co-workers, or close circle, there are certain things to consider in order to ensure that the celebrations of Amor y Amistad go smoothly and peacefully.
Do's
Don'ts
Foreigners visiting Colombia are encouraged to download the following guides and have them handy during their stay. With the help of these guides, visitors can enjoy their time in Colombia without worrying about their safety. The Colombia Emergency Directory and the Safety Guide for US Citizens in Colombia are testaments to the platform’s commitment to providing valuable information to its users and making their experience in Colombia as enjoyable and safe as possible.
Medellin Guru's comprehensive Colombian culture series
In Medellin Guru, we love Colombia, and we usually write many blogs about Colombian culture, places to visit, and other tips for all expats to have a reliable guide and valuable and relevant information about Colombia. Read our blogs about Colombian Culture here:
- Top Tourist Attractions in Colombia: Top Things to Do
- Top Things to Do in Medellín and Nearby: Top Tourist Attractions
- How to be an Expat in Colombia: 12 Tips to be a Successful Expat
- Top Things to Do in Cali and Nearby: Top Tourist Attractions
- Celebrating July 20th: Colombia Independence Day
- Norte de Santander: 5 Escapes for a Weekend Adventure
- Unlock Ipiales in 24 Hours: Your Essential Adventure Blueprint!
- Pasto: Discover the wonders of the Surprise City
- Top Popular Colombian Drinks to Try When You Visit Colombia
- Villa de Leyva: A Colonial Gem in the Colombian Andes
- Traditional Colombian Food Dishes You Must Try in Colombia
- Medellin Guru Launch 2023: Gentrification, Tourism and Investment
- Popular Colombian Desserts You Must Try While in Colombia
- Exotic Tropical Fruits of Colombia a Fruit Lovers Paradise
- Popular Colombian Soups to Try When You Visit Colombia
- Día de las Velitas: Day of Candles Tradition in Colombia on December 7
- Things in Colombia That May Be Strange for Foreigners
- Things Colombians Do That Foreigners May Find Weird
- Popayán: A Well-Preserved Colonial Gem in Colombia Worth Visiting
- Tejo: A Colombian Game That Rewards You for Explosions
Other things to see and do in Colombia
- Caño Cristales – the most beautiful river in Colombia, which has also been called the most beautiful river in the world by some people.
- Carnival in Barranquilla – the second largest carnival in the world.
- Cartagena – Oozing history, romance and sun-drenched beaches, the allure of historical Cartagena is hard to resist.
- Ciudad Perdida – the site of an ancient city in Colombia that is older than Machu Picchu in Peru.
- Colombia’s Pacific coast – often overlooked by tourists visiting Colombia but offering untamed nature and undiscovered beauty that is off the beaten path for most foreign tourists.
- Desierto de la Tatacoa – the second largest arid zone in Colombia is Tatacoa Desert, which has surreal desert landscapes and some of the best stargazing in Colombia.
- Guatapé – a picturesque pueblo near Medellín known for its huge rock and lake. And it’s likely the most visited pueblo in Colombia by foreigners.
- La Guajira Peninsula – one of the most visually stunning places in South America, which is located on the northern tip of Colombia where the desert meets the sea.
- Las Lajas Sanctuary – the most beautiful church in Colombia, which has also been called the most beautiful church in the world.
- Medellín’s Christmas lights – Medellín’s annual world-class Christmas lights known as Alumbrados Navideños.
- Feria de Las Flores Medellin – Medellín’s world-famous flower festival each year.
- Parque Nacional Natural Los Nevados – a popular national park in Colombia located in the heart of the Colombian coffee region.
- Parque Tayrona – known for its beautiful beaches and the world’s highest coastal mountain range.
- Popayán – a colonial gem in Colombia best known for its white buildings and churches, it’s a city off the beaten path for foreign tourists but is definitely worth visiting.
- Rio Claro Nature Reserve – located about three hours from Medellín, Rio Claro is the perfect place to unplug from hectic daily life and enjoy a picturesque crystal-clear river, canyon and tropical rainforest.
- Salento and the Cocora Valley – Salento is a picturesque pueblo in Colombia’s coffee region and the nearby Cocora Valley is one of the most striking landscapes found in Colombia.
- San Agustín Archaeological Park – the largest group of pre-Columbian monuments and megalithic statues in South America and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
- San Andrés – Colombia’s Caribbean island which is a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve featuring many beaches, islets and coral reefs that are filled with flora and fauna.
- San Gil – Colombia’s adventure capital that is full of things to do including white water rafting, paragliding, caving, rappelling, hiking and much more.
- San Jose del Guaviare – a hidden gem and eco-tourism location off the beaten path and offering wildlife watching, jungle trekking and delving into Colombia’s prehistoric past.
The Bottom Line: Día de Amor y Amistad
In Colombia, Valentine’s Day is known as Día de Amor y Amistad and is celebrated in September. It’s a special time to show love and friendship in unique and meaningful ways.
I’m from the U.S., so I’m used to celebrating Valentine’s Day on February 14. However, my Colombian wife follows a different tradition, celebrating Día de Amor y Amistad on the third Saturday of September. In Colombia, this September celebration is even bigger than the February 14 holiday in the U.S. As a couple, we now enjoy celebrating both occasions—Valentine’s Day on February 14 and Día de Amor y Amistad on Saturday, September 21, 2024.
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