The Day of the Dead or “Dia de los Difuntos” is celebrated on November 2nd, represents one of the most popular holidays in Ecuador.
The celebration varies from country to country in LatinAmerica been the most known internationally in Mexico where people celebrate this tradition dressing asup as “Calaveras Catrina” as an iconic symbol created in the early 1900´s, as well visiting thier loved ones at the cementeries while enjoy the food the dead ones used to like.
Many of the Ecuador Traditions associated with this celebration go back before the arrival of the Spanish conquistadors where the local people had their own burial rites and ways of remembering their loved one that past away. These customs were adopted by the Catholic church in an attempt to bring these indigenous people to salvation. The Catholic calendar designates November 2nd as All Souls Day, when prayers are offered for souls that are in purgatory.
Ecuador Traditions
The tradition in Ecuador is a little different, people also pay a tribute to theirs loved ones by visiting them at cementeries and prepare an special beverage named Colada Morada that comes with a peace of bread named Guagua de Pan; here some information:
Colada Morada
The Colada Morada is probably the most common tradition related to the Dia de los Difuntos. This thick, fruit filled drink gets its purple color from a mixture of fruits and blue corn flour. It has a unique taste from the different spices added. The exact preparation varies by family and region. Some serve it hot or warm; others prefer it chilled. The colada morada was traditionally used during the burial rites for the dead. It apparently started as a mixture of corn flour, potatoes, beans, peas, cabbage, achoite and llama blood that has evolved into the fruit version popular today.
Now every November 2, thousands of people bring this purple drink to the graves of their dead loved ones. One website called it Ecuador’s Eggnog, because of its popularity and the fact that it is typically only available during the season around the November holiday.
Guaguas de Pan
Another Ecuador Traditions are the guaguas de pan. Guagua is the Quichua word for baby, so this is translated “Bread Babies.” The indigenous people of Ecuador traditionally left these at the burial site when someone died to mark the grave and to give the dead one food to eat.
In the early 19th century the Catholics adopted this custom, but the guaguas weren’t edible. They were made specifically to decorate the graves.
Today every bread shop in the country sells guaguas in the days leading up to the Day of the Dead. They are usually shaped like swaddled babies and decorated with colored icing. Some are filled with jelly.
As you can see Ecuador is a country that not only offers some of the most worldwide spectacular natural highlights, also offers cultural and local tradition to travelers.
Come to Ecuador and discover a new way to travel…