We're here to help you keep count of the days to or since a date. Just click the button below and enter your chosen date to get started. Also choose the suggested days or search for a special day above #countingthedays
Carnival in Ecuador is a vibrant and colorful festivity that takes place before the Christian season of Lent, usually in February or March, depending on the liturgical calendar. The celebration is a mix of indigenous traditions and Catholic influence.
The origins of Carnival in Ecuador can be traced back to pre-Christian times when indigenous communities held festivities to mark the end of winter and the arrival of spring. With the Spanish conquest, these traditions merged with Catholic customs, leading to the current form of Carnival.
Ecuadorians celebrate Carnival with a sense of playfulness and joy. One of the most characteristic traditions is the playful water fights that take place throughout the country. People throw water balloons, buckets of water, or use squirt guns to douse friends and strangers alike, symbolizing purification and renewal.
Another tradition involves 'Talcum Powder Wars' where participants throw talcum powder or flour at each other. In rural areas, celebrations often incorporate elements such as fruits, flowers, and even live animals.
During Carnival, parades and comparsas (dancing groups) fill the streets with music and dance. Dancers wear colorful costumes and masks to represent various characters and myths from Ecuadorian folklore.
In various parts of Ecuador like Ambato, there are grand parades known as "Fiestas de las Flores y las Frutas" (Festival of Flowers and Fruits), showcasing elaborate floral displays, fruit-covered floats, beauty pageants, and cultural events celebrating local agriculture.
Food also plays an essential role during Carnival; typical dishes include bolón de verde (green plantain dumplings), fritada (fried pork), hornado (roasted pig), empanadas de viento (cheese-stuffed fried pastries), and sweet treats like espumillas (fruit-flavored meringue).
Many families take advantage of the long weekend to travel within the country or gather for festive meals. Music is omnipresent with genres such as cumbia, merengue, salsa, reggaeton blaring from speakers everywhere people gather.
While festivities are joyous and full of fun activities for all ages — including concerts by popular bands — they are also marked by cautionary measures due to occasional excesses related to water use or unruly behavior during celebrations.
