A Country Made of Light

How Colombia’s Christmas Teaches the World About Joy, Community, and Belonging

De: Elena Caro

Narrado por: Virtual Voice

What if one month could teach the world a blueprint for joy?

In A Country Made of Light, author Elena Caro takes readers on a vivid, heart-opening journey into Colombia’s dazzling December—one of the most spectacular, musical, flavorful, and community-centered Christmas traditions on Earth.

From the glow of La Noche de las Velitas, to the music-filled novenas, midnight feasts, nonstop dancing, coastal drums, Andean rituals, Amazonian gatherings, and the world-famous Medellín alumbrados, Caro reveals a Christmas culture where light isn’t decoration—it’s a way of life.

Along the way, she travels from Bogotá kitchens to Caribbean beaches, from mountain towns to diaspora celebrations in U.S. cities, uncovering the deep connections between food, faith, migration, memory, and joy. For Colombian families abroad, this book becomes a homecoming. For newcomers, it opens a door to one of the world’s most generous holiday traditions.

This is not just a book about Christmas.

It’s a book about belonging—and about the power traditions have to bring light into the darkest parts of the year.

If you love cultural travel writing, holiday books, heartwarming nonfiction, or simply want a fresh, radiant look at the season, A Country Made of Light will stay with you long after the lights come down.

Perfect for:

🎁 Holiday readers

🌎 Lovers of multicultural nonfiction

📚 Book clubs

🇨🇴 Colombians and Colombian-Americans

✈️ Travelers and cultural explorers

🎄 Anyone wanting joy, warmth, and meaning this Christmas

A luminous, unforgettable celebration of the season.