Novena of aguinaldos

[1] The novena of aguinaldos is commonly celebrated by Catholics in Colombia, Peru, as well as parts of Ecuador and Venezuela.

During each night of the novena, families and friends pray, eat, and sing villancicos together, often accompanied by musical instruments.

After the novena, typical Christmas dishes are served such as buñuelos, natilla, empanadas, hot chocolate, and sabajón, which is a Colombian-style spiked eggnog.

Fray Fernando wrote them at the request of the founder of the School of Teaching in Bogotá, Mrs. Clemencia Caycedo Jesus Velez.

Many years later, a nun in the 1800s from the same Catholic school, Sister María Ignacia, modified the novena of aguinaldos.

Mother María Ignacia, who modified the text of the novena in the end of the 19th century.