Ecuador Traditions

Ecuador’s Traditions and Customs

Ecuador has several traditions and customs, which stand out as a national identity. They have remained over time, and it has become a cultural heritage. These traditions manifest plurinationality and pluriculturality, which extend throughout the entire national territory.

The Diablada de Píllaro – Sierra

La Diablada (Feast of Innocents) is a unique cultural expression in the country, currently declared Intangible Cultural Heritage of Ecuador; their games (groups of participants from different communities) are made up of various characters (devils, guarichas line couples, capariches) who, at the rhythm of the village bands, perform their dance both in their communities of origin and in the main streets of the Píllaro canton

Rodeo Montubio – Coast

The montubio rodeo is a tradition born from cowboys who are residents of the rural areas of the Ecuadorian coast. This event is the perfect opportunity to demonstrate the rider's skills, these skills are learned in their daily work. A competition where the best cowboy gets a prize.

Amorfinos – Coast

Amorfinos are short oral expressions, and they are composed poetically, they are usually sung. They are used to romantically conquer montubio women, who receive their reply in the same way. It is a tradition that is performed in the montubios’s feast

The Carnivals – nationwide.

Carnival in Ecuador is one of the most traditional celebrations. It is a festival full of excitement, it is customary to play the carnival with water, carnival foam. In certain places this game is more intense. They even use flour and eggs. Carnival parades are held where dancing and costumes are on the agenda. The most famous carnival in Ecuador is the well-known Guaranda carnival accompanied by its typical drink the "blue bird". This celebration is carried out in all places, each with its own peculiarities.

Flowers and fruits Festival – Sierra
The festival of flowers and fruits is one of the most important celebrations in carnival time in in Ecuador. It is done in the month of February or March. It is done in Ambato city and it is part of the town identity.

Pawkar raymi – Sierra

The Pawkar raymi, also known as the flowering festival, is a ceremony that is done in gratitude to Mother Earth "Pachamama" for the flowers and fruits, its main elements are water and flowers. Different rituals are performed and songs are sung that enhance the ceremony.

Ash Wednesday – nationwide

Ash Wednesday is a day of great religious significance, which means conversion. It has the symbol of putting an ash cross, this ritual comes after the carnival and begins the time of Lent (40 days of reflection for parishioners’ life transformation)

Lent – nationwide

From Ash Wednesday, the Lent stage begins. The Lenten season has long been one of preparation for Church for Easter, a liturgical time of forty days. The number forty has a symbolic meaning in the Holy Scriptures and we see it in several passages in the Old and New Testaments. The phrase forty days almost always represents a long time.
This period of time is intended to meditate, repent and correct the mistakes made. It is the preparation of the body and conscience, this tradition was brought in the conquest, and is based on Catholic religion.

Holy Week – nationwide

Holy Week in Ecuador is one of the most important commemorative dates of Catholic faith. This week includes from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday. During that particular week it includes many rites, one of them is fasting, or the preparation of traditional food such as the typical dish called Fanesca. It was a symbol to consume it on Holy Thursday, however, due to its high demand they are consumed any day of the week, this food is prepared with different types of grains that represents the apostles, and dried cod that gives the dish a special flavor.
On Holy Thursday rites are performed like the last supper, the washing of the feet. Good Friday, the cross road, where Christ’s passion is revived, Saturday of glory the Easter vigil. Easter Sunday is the celebration of the risen Christ who conquers death.

Kasama – Coast

The festival of Kasama is a popular festival of the Tsáchila community. It is a celebration of the beginning of the new year, the date falls on the day of Saturday of Glory

Corpus Christi – Sierra

Corpus Christi is a traditional Catholic religious celebration, which has great Spanish influence, is mixed with the traditional ancestral Mother Earth festivals, by the beginning of summer or solstice. One of the emblematic cities of this celebration is Cuenca, which are also well known its Corpus Christi sweets.
The consecrated host in the Eucharist becomes the Body of Christ, this transformation is called transubstantiation. It is 60 days after Easter Sunday.

Paseo del Chagra – Sierra

The Paseo del Chagra, is one of the cultural manifestations of the Mejía canton. In this event the Andean cowboys parade, with their best finery. This event is declared as intangible heritage of Ecuador. In this celebration Chagra of the year is chosen, the most beautiful chagra.

The Black Mama - Sierra
Black Mama celebration takes place in September and November, in honor of the Virgin of Mercy. In the province of Cotopaxi.
The main character of the Black Mama is a man dressed in elegant dress, painted black face parades with a black doll, mounted on a horse. The tour starts from the La Merced Church.

Inti Raymi – Sierra

It is a ritual that is performed in Ecuador, this traditional indigenous peoples’ celebration, is known as the festivities of the sun. They thank for the harvest, it coincides with the feasts of San Pedro. This ancestral festival has its origins in the Andean communities. These celebrations are held in the month of June and July.

Tucumán – Sierra

The dance of the ribbons or Tucumán is a dance that performs a fabric with 12 ribbons. In the center is a vertical wood supported by other characters who do not participate in the dance, said stick is called maguey, it has a height of 5 m. In the upper part of the stick, the flag of Ecuador is being raised, which is also called the flag, it can be seen that 12 ribbons hang from the top of the stick so that the dancers make the fabric while they dance, the ribbons can reach to measure 7 m in length.

Yamor Festival – Otavalo

Fiesta del Yamor, is a tradition carried out year by year by the Otavaleños, a popular pre-Inca festival and its drink is the chicha del yamor, it is made with 7 varieties of corn, and represents the diversity of the indigenous people united for the whole community’s good

Feast of the Jora – Cotacachi

The Fiesta de la Jora is celebrated in the month of September Cotacachi dresses up to celebrate the San Juanes with the traditional chicha de Jora, an ancestral pre-Inca drink. This ancestral drink has a fermentation procedure and as the main ingredients we have corn and jora.

Fiesta de la Chonta – Oriente

La Chonta festival is a celebration that is done by the harvest of the chonta, this fruit is characteristic of eastern Ecuador. It is a party held by the Shuar nationality.

Fox Hunt

The Fox Hunt, is a competition that takes place for Ibarra city´s Fundation feasts. Skilful riders, riding their horses, perform maneuver on uneven terrain and chase the previous winner and appropriate the fox's tail.

Killa Raymi – Sierra

The Killa Raymi is also known by the name of the moon festival, this Andean festival is done in the autumn equinox that is the culmination of the soil preparation for planting.

Festival of the Crosses – Sierra

The Feast of the Crosses is a rite of the veneration and consecration of the cross, it is known that this festival was implemented after the arrival of the colonizers.

Day of the dead – nationwide

On November 2 the Day of the Dead is celebrated, it is an important date of the popular commemorations of Ecuador, the cemeteries are full of floral arrangements, to remember those loved ones who departed from this world. Tradition also involves the realization of bread guaguas (in quichua, children) and purple colada.

Child Passes – Sierra

It is a celebration that is held in honor of the baby Jesus in Christmas time, usually it is done on the eve of a good night, however in the area of ​​Riobamba the “Pases del Niño” traditionally extends until the Three Kings Day, considered Ecuador’s Intangible Heritage, another well-known Pase del Niño is in Cuenca the Pass of the traveling child. This pass of the child has people disguised as the holy family, shepherds, angels and picturesque characters such as curiquingue, devil rattle, etc. join in this parade.

Christmas – nationwide

Christmas represents a time of great importance in Catholic religion. It is the day that commemorates the baby Jesus’ birth, God made man.
This time of the year in Ecuador, family unity is fostered and friendship ties are strengthened. One of the symbols of celebration is the delivery of gifts, dinner on a good night that is December 24. The midnight mass at 12 at night.
Dinner is a special meal in Ecuador is made with turkey or pork, and the inevitable dessert are the famous Christmas pristiños.
The decoration of Christian homes is done with Nacimiento (Manger), Christmas tree, the novena is prayed waiting for the arrival of the child Jesus.

Old year – nationwide

The Old Year is a puppet that represents the end of the year, some are made with old clothes and stuffed with sawdust, other dolls are made with cardboard, newspaper, and paint is used. It is a representation of the year and symbolize the year that ends. At midnight on December 31, the puppet is burned, and the New Year is received.