Key facts for Colombia
December is a long festive month and the main corporate gifting period.
How companies in Colombia give year-end gifts
In Colombia, the Christmas season begins with Día de las Velitas on 7 December and continues through the novenas (16–24 December), which many companies hold in the office with treats for staff. Employees receive the legally mandated prima de servicios in December, and many employers add an ancheta (gift basket) or a year-end gift. Anchetas with sweets, coffee, wine and local products are also the classic client gift, delivered in early December with a signed card in Spanish. Business relationships are personal, so gifts addressed to individuals with a warm message are appreciated. Many offices are quiet from late December until after the Epiphany holiday in January. Large corporates and the public sector have gift policies; Colombia's transnational bribery law and its anti-corruption statutes encourage companies to keep gifts modest and documented.
Gift occasions in Colombia
Día de las Velitas
Candle night opens the Christmas season.
Novena de Aguinaldos
Nine evenings of prayer and gatherings; many offices host a novena.
Christmas
Main family celebration on the evening of the 24th.
Good practice
- Deliver before the novenas start on 16 Dec.
- Consider office novena treats as a team gift.
- Use warm, personal Spanish wording in cards.
- Avoid coffee-based gifts as novelty; Colombians know their coffee well.
Avoid
- Avoid gifts to public officials.
- Avoid excessively valuable gifts that could breach client compliance policies.
Design and wording
Christmas wording and imagery are fully appropriate.
Gift policies
Law 1778 of 2016 imposes administrative liability on companies for transnational bribery, and anti-corruption statutes restrict gifts to officials.
Delivery to Colombia
Imports clear Colombian customs and IVA applies; the EU trade agreement with Colombia, Peru and Ecuador can reduce duties for EU-origin goods. Food products are subject to INVIMA sanitary rules, so food shipments are checked before quoting.
Planning dates for Colombia
| Order personalized stock advent calendars by | 6 Nov 2026 |
|---|---|
| Order Christmas hampers by | 13 Nov 2026 |
| Fully custom calendars for 2027 — order between | 01.2027 – 08.2027 |
Indicative planning dates; exact dates are confirmed in your proposal.
Recommended formats for Colombia
Chocolate advent calendars
Twenty-four chocolates and your brand on the front from 1 to 24 December.
Tea & coffee calendars
A tea or coffee advent calendar with your logo is a measured, practical gift for clients and colleagues who prefer to avoid sweets.
Plush & merch calendars
A merchandise advent calendar distributes your branded items across 24 doors: socks, pins, stickers, small plush and treats, each carrying your logo.
Empty calendar boxes
For companies that already have the filling: custom printed advent calendar boxes in bulk, designed around your products and delivered flat or…
Christmas hampers
Corporate Christmas hampers with your logo on the box, ribbon or card, composed to your budget band and delivered to one office or to individual home…
Baubles with logo
Most promotional items are discarded within weeks.
Frequently asked questions
What is an ancheta?
A gift basket, the traditional Colombian Christmas gift for clients and employees.
When are corporate gifts given in Colombia?
Usually in early December, before the novenas from 16 to 24 December.
Can we ship chocolate to Colombia?
Generally yes, subject to sanitary rules; duties and IVA may apply and are quoted in advance.