Medellín event catering since 2019
Holiday and Cultural Catering in Medellín
Medellin Elite Catering has cooked for Medellín's holidays since 2019, from novena nights in Laureles living rooms to roast dinners for American families in El Poblado. This page gathers every holiday and cultural occasion we cater, with the dates, menus and deadlines that shape each one.
We work with two calendars at once. Paisa families plan around Nochebuena, Semana Santa and the Día del Amor y la Amistad, while expats, visiting groups and foreign companies still want Thanksgiving in November and a cookout on the Fourth of July.
December is our peak season, and every December since 2019 has shown us which dates sell out first. Our bilingual coordinators plan in English or Spanish, and every holiday quote arrives itemized within 24 hours.
- Itemized quotes available
- Bilingual English and Spanish coordinators
Plan your event
Holiday Catering for Colombian and American Calendars
Most of the holidays we cater fall on different days, or carry different meanings, in Colombia and the United States. The table lines up both calendars so a mixed group of locals and expats can choose the right date and menu.
| Holiday | Colombian date | US date | Typical menu we cook |
|---|---|---|---|
| Christmas | Nochebuena, late on 24 December | Christmas dinner, 25 December | Lechona, tamales and natilla, or roast turkey and glazed ham |
| Novenas de aguinaldos | Nine evenings, 16 to 24 December | Not observed | Buñuelos, natilla, hojuelas and hot chocolate |
| Día de las Velitas | Night of 7 December | Not observed | Empanadas, buñuelos and aguapanela with cheese |
| New Year's Eve | 31 December | 31 December | Pernil, canapés and twelve grapes at midnight |
| Easter | Holy Thursday and Good Friday, public holidays | Easter Sunday | Fish menus and dulce de papaya, or ham and egg brunch |
| Halloween | 31 October, a day for children | 31 October | Candy bags, mummy hot dogs and themed canapés |
| Love and friendship | Amor y Amistad, third Saturday of September | Valentine's Day, 14 February | Dinner for two, picnic baskets and office sweets |
| Thanksgiving | Not a Colombian holiday | Fourth Thursday of November | Roast turkey, stuffing, gravy and pumpkin pie |
| Independence Day | 20 July | 4 July | Burgers, ribs, slaw and corn on the cob |
| Labor Day | 1 May | First Monday of September | Staff lunches and cookouts |
Love and friendship gets its own page. Our Valentine's Day catering covers private dinners on 14 February as well as office parties for Amor y Amistad in September, when Colombian coworkers swap sweets through the amigo secreto game.
The Christmas and Year-End Season
Christmas in Medellín runs from the switch-on of the Alumbrados in late November to the first week of January, and it is the busiest stretch of our year. The season opens with Día de las Velitas on 7 December, when families light candles on balconies and sidewalks, and from 16 to 24 December the novenas de aguinaldos bring relatives, neighbors and coworkers together each evening for prayers, carols and natilla.
The great family meal is Nochebuena, eaten on the night of 24 December, often close to midnight after the gifts are opened. Our Christmas dinner catering delivers that meal hot or serves it at home, with Colombian classics or a traditional roast for families who celebrate on 25 December.
Companies hold their year-end parties from late November to mid-December, and the largest event we have ever catered was one of them, with 900 guests. Our Christmas party catering handles those parties, plus novena nights and boxed holiday snacks for staff who work across several offices.
Religious Milestones and Holy Week
Catholic traditions still set the rhythm of family life in Antioquia, and two of them bring us the most requests: baptisms and Semana Santa. Both come with food customs that guests notice when they are missing.
Baptisms usually take place at the parish on a Saturday morning or a Sunday, after which the godparents (padrinos) and family head to a home, a salón social or a finca to eat. Our baptism catering times lunch to the end of the ceremony and adds a white dessert table around the christening cake.
Holy Week moves between March and April and empties the city, as many families drive out to fincas for the long weekend. Our Easter catering covers the meat-free fish menus of Good Friday, Easter Sunday brunch for expat families and treats for the egg hunt.
American Holidays Away From Home
Medellín has a sizable community of Americans who still mark their own holidays, and most want the dishes they grew up with rather than a local interpretation. Our kitchen cooks those menus from recipes a US family would recognize.
Thanksgiving, on the fourth Thursday of November, is the most requested. Our Thanksgiving catering brings a whole roast turkey, stuffing, gravy, cranberry sauce and pie to a home or office, delivered or served by our team.
Two outdoor dates follow in the middle of the year. Fourth of July catering means burgers, ribs and corn on the cob at a finca or a pool, while our Labor Day catering helps companies thank their staff on the US date in September or on Colombia's 1 May.
Halloween is the one American date Colombia celebrates too, mainly as an afternoon for children in costume. Our Halloween party catering covers kids' parties in residential buildings, office costume contests and adult nights on a rooftop.
Memorials and Remembrance
When a family loses someone, food is one of the few burdens friends can lift, and we handle these requests with discretion and short notice. Funerals in Colombia often take place within a day or two of a death, followed by a novenario: nine evenings of prayer at home, with coffee, aromática tea and something sweet for visitors.
Our funeral reception catering supplies receptions after the service, wakes and repasts, with simple platters and quiet staff who stay in the background. Coffee and bread trays can often arrive the same day, and a staffed reception needs 24 to 48 hours.
Families also gather a month or a year after a death, usually for a Mass followed by a shared meal. Our celebration of life catering plans those anniversary gatherings around the dishes the person loved, from a pot of sancocho to a full buffet.
Holiday Booking Deadlines
Holiday dates fill faster than ordinary weekends, and on 24 and 31 December our kitchen has a fixed capacity that cannot stretch. Our normal lead times (48 hours for drop-off, 2 weeks for staffed events) only apply while a holiday date is still open.
| Holiday | Recommended booking window | Last order date |
|---|---|---|
| Company Christmas party | August to October | 2 weeks before, if the date is still free |
| Novena nights | By late November | 48 hours before each night |
| Christmas dinner, 24 or 25 December | October to early November | 18 December delivered (15 December with turkey); 1 December served |
| New Year's Eve | During November | 26 December |
| Thanksgiving | 4 to 6 weeks before | Turkey orders 10 days before; sides 48 hours |
| Easter and Holy Week | 3 to 4 weeks before Palm Sunday | 7 days before delivery |
| Halloween | 3 to 4 weeks before | 2 weeks staffed; 48 hours for trays |
| Valentine's dinner | 3 to 4 weeks before 14 February | 7 days before |
| Fourth of July | By early June | 2 weeks staffed; 48 hours drop-off |
| Labor Day, 1 May | By mid-March | 2 weeks before |
| Baptism | 3 to 6 weeks before | 2 weeks staffed; 48 hours drop-off |
| Funeral reception | As soon as the date is set | Same day for coffee trays; 24 to 48 hours staffed |
Any holiday date is held with a deposit, and the balance falls due 7 days before the event. If your plans change more than 60 days ahead, the deposit carries over to another date within 12 months.
Questions and answers
Holiday Catering Questions
When should I book Christmas catering in Medellín?
Book between October and early November for any December date. Company parties on the first two Fridays and Saturdays of December are usually committed first, and served dinners on 24 December close on 1 December or sooner if the kitchen is full. Delivered Christmas dinners stay open until 18 December while capacity remains.
Can you cook a traditional American holiday meal in Colombia?
Yes, we cook Thanksgiving and Christmas menus the way American families expect them, from brined roast turkey to pecan pie. Whole turkeys are reserved weeks ahead from Colombian poultry suppliers, and imported items such as cranberries, pecans and canned pumpkin come from specialty grocers in the city. Where an import runs short, we use a close local match, like ahuyama squash for the pie or agraz berries for the sauce.
Reserve your date
Plan Your Holiday Catering
Tell us the holiday, the date and your guest count through the quote form, and we will send an itemized quote within 24 hours. You can also write to info@medellincatering.com.
- Itemized quotes available
- Menus, staff, tableware, setup and cleanup in one quote
- Food-handler certified team and labeled allergens on every tray
- Monday to Saturday
- 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
- Sunday
- Closed (events still run)