[Esp/Eng] Raíces // Roots

Esta madrugada sentí cuán importante es estar conectados con nuestras raíces porque esta acción nos hace mantener vivo un hilo invisible que nos conecta con lo que somos y de dónde venimos al entender que, aunque el mundo se mueva rápido y nos empuje a mirar siempre hacia adelante, hay en nuestro pasado una riqueza que no podemos ignorar. Las raíces no solo nos anclan, también nos nutren, nos dan identidad y sentido porque son historias, rituales, pequeños gestos que nos recuerdan quiénes somos, incluso cuando estamos lejos de casa.

Ser genuinos en medio de la búsqueda de la aprobación que a menudo valora lo superficial puede ser un acto de valentía, pero también es un de libertad porque no hay mayor orgullo que mostrarnos tal cual somos, con nuestras costumbres, acentos y maneras, sin necesidad de justificar ni disfrazar nuestras verdades. El lugar donde nacimos, con sus paisajes, sus sonidos y su gente, no es una carga, sino un regalo, y como en todo lado pasa, puede que no sea perfecto, pero en cada rincón hay algo que nos forma, que nos enseña y que nos hace únicos.

Avergonzarse de nuestras raíces es como negar una parte esencial de nosotros mismos al olvidar que la diversidad que trae cada cultura, cada tradición, enriquece al mundo. Las tradiciones no son solo actos mecánicos, sino puentes que nos unen, que nos recuerdan que no estamos solos y que otros antes de nosotros caminaron por los mismos caminos y enfrentaron retos similares.

También es cierto que no todas las tradiciones merecen seguir vigentes, sobre todo aquellas que dividen, que hieren, que perpetúan el maltrato o la desigualdad, estas deben ser cuestionadas, transformadas o incluso abandonadas o prohibidas por los gobiernos porque las costumbres deben evolucionar con el tiempo, conservando lo que construye y dejando atrás lo que destruye, y si no hay una vía óptima de cambio, es mejor sepultarlas en el olvido y volverlas inservibles, como cuando un teléfono celular ya no recibe las actualizaciones y tenemos que cambiarlo sí o sí porque va perdiendo funciones importantes.

Es en las tradiciones que fomentan la unidad, la celebración colectiva, donde encontramos la esencia de lo que significa comunidad, son entonces esas noches alrededor de una fogata, las mesas llenas de platos compartidos, las risas que cruzan generaciones, las que nos recuerdan el poder de estar juntos, como el Día de las Velitas, porque es justamente es en esos momentos cuando realmente entendemos que las raíces no son cadenas, sino alas que nos permiten volar con un sentido y propósito.

Creo que olvidarlas es perdernos, es quedar a la deriva en un mundo donde el sentido de pertenencia es más necesario que nunca. Mantener nuestras raíces vivas no significa estar aferrados al pasado, sino saber llevarlo con nosotros al futuro para enseñarlo incluso a las nuevas generaciones para que no muera, es celebrar lo nuestro incluso fuera del país, es escuchar a nuestros cantantes, es ver la producción nacional que edifica y sigue imprimiendo en nuestro corazón nuevos lazos de amor hacia la tierra en la que nacimos.

Freepik

Cuando celebramos tradiciones construimos una identidad que sea fiel a lo que fuimos, pero abierta a lo que podemos ser, es abrazar nuestra historia sin miedo porque en ella hay fortaleza. Es recordar que ser genuinos no es solo una elección personal, sino una forma de honrar a quienes nos precedieron, a quienes nos enseñaron, aunque fuera de manera silenciosa, que lo más valioso que tenemos es lo que llevamos en el corazón: nuestras raíces, nuestro país, nuestra esencia como parte de un paquete que forma la vida misma.

Esta fue una publicación de domingo.

Gracias por pasarse a leer un rato, amigas, amigos, amigues de Blurt.

Que tengan un excelente día y que Dios los bendiga grandemente.

Saludines, camaradas blurtinenses!!

Sunday, december 8th, 2024.

Today at dawn, the Day of the Candles was celebrated: a Colombian tradition that marks the beginning of Christmas in the country.

Being such a deep-rooted tradition, it is still maintained in not only traditional but modern and contemporary families where children are the main protagonists, but we can all also participate because adults usually go out for a walk at those hours when they are lit to enjoy the spectacle while we walk through the streets lit with candles placed in places where the wind does not blow them out, they can be glasses or even decorative lanterns depending on the economy of each home.

I was able to enjoy this lovely tradition since yesterday in the company of my parents, my sister, my brother-in-law, my nephew and my partner because we went out for a walk in the area after lighting ours. When we returned, we ate a portion of natilla, buñuelos and a bocadillo with cheese, typical dishes that we prepare at home for these dates.

Unsplash

This day is deeply rooted in religious and cultural traditions, combining faith, community and joy in an event that lights up the streets and the hearts of those who participate. The celebration has its roots in the dogma of the Immaculate Conception, proclaimed in 1854 by Pope Pius IX, which recognizes the Virgin Mary as free of sin since her conception. In Colombia, this event translated into a popular tradition that, over time, expanded and transformed into a national holiday.

Families and neighbors gather on sidewalks, parks and patios to light up the night with endless rows of lights that symbolize faith, hope and unity. Cities are filled with a special glow and in every corner of the country you can feel the human warmth that characterizes this date. Although the basis of the tradition is religious, its meaning has evolved and today many also celebrate it as an opportunity to share in community and achieve family unity.

Each region of the country gives its own nuance to the celebration. In large cities like Bogotá and Medellín, it is common for the lights to be mixed with elaborate decorations and artistic displays. In small towns, the atmosphere is more intimate, with families taking center stage. What makes Día de las Velitas unique is its ability to bring people together around a simple act because lighting a candle may seem like an insignificant gesture, but in this context it takes on a deeper meaning: a light that symbolizes gratitude, intentions, and wishes for the coming year by reminding us of the importance of spirituality, family, and community in the midst of a planet that often seems to move faster than its own natural movements.

Tenor

This morning I felt how important it is to be connected to our roots because this action makes us keep alive an invisible thread that connects us with who we are and where we come from, understanding that, although the world moves fast and pushes us to always look forward, there is a wealth in our past that we cannot ignore. Roots not only anchor us, they also nourish us, give us identity and meaning because they are stories, rituals, small gestures that remind us who we are, even when we are far from home.

Being genuine in the midst of the search for approval that often values ​​the superficial can be an act of courage, but it is also an act of freedom because there is no greater pride than showing ourselves as we are, with our customs, accents and ways, without the need to justify or disguise our truths. The place where we were born, with its landscapes, its sounds and its people, is not a burden, but a gift, and as happens everywhere, it may not be perfect, but in every corner there is something that shapes us, that teaches us and that makes us unique.

Being ashamed of our roots is like denying an essential part of ourselves by forgetting that the diversity that each culture and each tradition brings enriches the world. Traditions are not just mechanical acts, but bridges that unite us, that remind us that we are not alone and that others before us walked the same paths and faced similar challenges.

It is also true that not all traditions deserve to remain in force, especially those that divide, that hurt, that perpetuate mistreatment or inequality. These must be questioned, transformed or even abandoned or prohibited by governments because customs must evolve over time, preserving what builds and leaving behind what destroys. If there is no optimal path to change, it is better to bury them in oblivion and make them useless, like when a cell phone no longer receives updates and we have to change it no matter what because it is losing important functions.

It is in the traditions that foster unity, the collective celebration, where we find the essence of what community means. It is then those nights around a bonfire, the tables full of shared dishes, the laughter that crosses generations, which remind us of the power of being together, like the Day of the Candles, because it is precisely in those moments when we truly understand that roots are not chains, but wings that allow us to fly with meaning and purpose.

I think that forgetting them is losing ourselves, being adrift in a world where the sense of belonging is more necessary than ever. Keeping our roots alive does not mean clinging to the past, but knowing how to take it with us to the future to teach it even to the new generations so that it does not die, it is celebrating what is ours even outside the country, it is listening to our singers, it is seeing the national production that builds and continues to imprint in our hearts new bonds of love towards the land where we were born.

Freepik

When we celebrate traditions, we build an identity that is faithful to who we were, but open to what we can be. It is embracing our history without fear because there is strength in it. It is remembering that being genuine is not only a personal choice, but a way of honoring those who came before us, those who taught us, even if silently, that the most valuable thing we have is what we carry in our hearts: our roots, our country, our essence as part of a package that forms life itself.

This was a sunday post.

Thanks for stopping by to read for a while, Blurt friends.

Have a great day and may God bless you greatly.

Regards, comrades blurtarians!!

_{Translation: Deepl.com}