20 TRADITIONS AND CUSTOMS OF ECUADOR - CULTURE VOCABULARY - 2025

The traditions and customs of Ecuador are celebrations, ways of acting and cultural elements that have been taking place since ancient times in this country. Some of the most important are the festival of the Sun, the celebration of the crosses, Ecuadorian music, the Montubio rodeo and the Yamor festival, among many others.

These expressions represent a wide cultural background, since in this country a large number of communities and ethnic groups converge that contribute their different beliefs and festivities. Likewise, the influence of indigenous groups has considerable weight within the cosmogony of the inhabitants of this region.

Ecuadorian music features a mix of indigenous, African, and Spanish elements. Source: Maritza Ríos / Secretariat of Culture of Mexico City

Ecuador is a mestizo country since it is inhabited by whites, indigenous and Afro-Ecuadorians, who have spread throughout the entire territory to occupy the east, the mountains, the coast and the insular region. For this reason, customs are not only diverse due to miscegenation, but also due to geographical differences that develop in the country.

This means that the way of understanding the world, nature and society is greatly influenced by the location of communities. For example, the episteme of the inhabitants of the insular region may vary from that of the communities settled in the mountains.

The 20 most popular Ecuadorian traditions and customs

-Childish games

Within the Ecuadorian territories, the youngest have fun with a series of indigenous games of the region.

Some of these recreations are not only practiced in Ecuador, but are also very popular within the Latin American continent, such as marbles or hopscotch.

The marbles or metras

This game consists of carrying out a competition by using small marbles or glass balls, which are placed on the ground within a circle drawn with chalk; this circular area or perimeter is generally known as lightning.

The first player or participant must throw his marble in any place delimited by the ray so that the second participant tries to collide with his marble that of the first player. This has the purpose that the opponent's piece goes beyond the limit established in the circular figure.

If the player on duty manages to take the other's marble out of the limit, this means that this participant has won the score; therefore, the game ends when one of the players has kept all the pieces of the other participants.

Hopscotch

This game starts from the use of chalk, since it is used to draw some boxes where each of the participants must jump without stepping on the lines of the squares.

Depending on the square, the player must jump on one foot or with both. In addition, before starting to jump, the participant must throw a stone that will indicate which box should be avoided when starting the hopscotch tour.

The participant loses the game in two specific cases: if he steps on the lines of the squares or if the stone that he has previously thrown has fallen in some of these boundaries. Then, the players must try to throw the stone into the squares.

-Traditional Ecuadorian festivities related to the Catholic religion

The carnivals

As in many Latin American countries, Ecuadorians like to celebrate carnival and celebrate it a few days before celebrating Lent. Carnival is one of the most common celebrations in these territories, which is why it takes place almost throughout the country.

Depending on the state or region in which it is celebrated, the carnival contains cultural variations according to which different dances and costumes are added. Water balloon games are usually played and music is played.

Festival of flowers and fruits

In Ecuador there is a celebration known as the festival of fruits and flowers, where some parades are organized and flowers and fruit baskets are given.

This is celebrated before Lent, making it a holiday related to the Catholic religion. This celebration is typical of the town of Ambato although it can also be seen in other places.

-The festival of the Sun

This is one of the most important celebrations for Ecuadorians, since the origin of this tradition dates back to the years of the colonial era. It is celebrated during the course of June and July, commemorating the summer solstice.

During this period, tribute is paid to the solar star, which is considered one of the most important gods for indigenous groups. This party usually takes place in Imbabura; However, this type of event also occurs in Otavalo.

One of the traditions or events carried out during these months is that an indigenous group takes the square in order to represent some historical elements of great importance for Ecuador, such as the uprising against the Spanish yoke at the time of the conquests.

-Yamor Festival

This celebration is typical of indigenous communities and takes place during the first days of September.

The Yamor aims to celebrate Mother Earth and thank her for her natural resources, especially for the existence of corn. For this reason, on this day a series of dishes are prepared using corn and some of its derivatives.

Not only in the Yamor festival, thanks are given for the corn, as this also occurs in another festival known as the Corn Harvest Festival, carried out mainly in Tarqui. The celebrations of this tradition are much more local and therefore do not have a notable tourist reach.

-Festival of October 12

Many nations of the American continent celebrate the so-called race day on October 12, which is also celebrated in Ecuador.

This is one of the most important festivities for the nation due to the large amount of indigenous population that lives in this country, although it is not celebrated at the national level but rather is carried out with greater zeal in some regions.

For example, during this day in the provinces of Los Ríos and Las Guayas there are happy meetings where horse riding is practiced and rodeos are held.

November 2, day of the dead

This festival is well known worldwide and belongs mainly to Mexico. However, in Ecuador this celebration is also practiced.

At this time, Ecuadorians pay tribute to the deceased, especially those who belong to the same family line. For this the families prepare typical foods of each region and bring colorful flowers to the dead.

-The Montubio rodeo

On the coasts of Ecuador there is a special tradition for cowboys known as the Montubio rodeo, where riders must prove their courage and skill when riding their horses.

Generally, each cowboy represents a particular ranch, so the winner takes a trophy on behalf of their land.

On October 12, a special Montubio rodeo known as Salitre is held, which is well known in Latin America and draws the attention of tourists.

-Ecuadorian music: the zamacueca and the fandango

The most important rhythms or musical genres for Ecuador are the zamacueca and the fandango, which have their origins with the arrival of the Spanish because they were the ones who introduced these sounds.

However, the natives of Ecuador decided to adopt these rhythms by adding their own interpretation to them, thus building a typical music.

The typical music of this Latin American country also absorbed African manifestations thanks to the introduction of settlers from this area during the colonization process. This combination of sounds is fascinating for scholars, since it shows how miscegenation was developed in the region.

-The guatita

As with music, Ecuadorian gastronomy is also the result of cultural assimilation, which is why you can find foods and condiments that are used by indigenous people as well as by Africans and Europeans.

One of the favorite dishes of the Ecuadorian population is guatita, which consists of a kind of tripe that is accompanied with various vegetables, such as tomatoes and onions; A touch of lemon is also added to create a contrast of flavors.

-Stew

This is also one of the most prepared dishes by Ecuadorians, both in urban and rural areas.

The main ingredient of this food is made up of chicken or beef meat, to which vegetables and greens are added. One of the favorite accompaniments for sancocho is yucca, a native tuber of indigenous communities.

Generally, Ecuadorian dishes of this type are complemented with tamales, which consist of wrappers made of corn flour that are filled with a wide variety of foods: from vegetables to pork.

-Guaguas of bread with purple laundry

This particular dish is prepared exclusively during the Day of the Dead and is very striking for its colors and shapes.

The colada consists of a drink prepared with sweet-tasting purple or black corn that is prepared with fruits and cornstarch; this is what gives it its characteristic color.

The drink can range from blackberries to oranges, and some even add strawberry and pineapple. Likewise, Ecuadorians add some spices such as cinnamon, lemon verbena, cloves and sweet pepper. Before preparing the drink, the cornmeal must be fermented by resting it in water.

As for the guagua de pan, this is the sandwich that accompanies the special drink and consists of a bread that is shaped like a human being, especially as a child, since “guagua” means “infant” in the Kichwa language.

Some consider that the shape of this bread is not similar to that of a child, but rather corresponds to the figure of a doll.

These anthropomorphic breads in most cases are filled with something sweet, such as jam, chocolate or pastry cream; in some places they add fruits and dulce de leche. Traditionally the colada represents the blood of the dead, while the guagua de pan alludes to the body.

Inca origins

Although this celebration coincides with the date imposed by the Catholic religion (November 2), the origins of this festival are actually Inca, since it is considered that this drink was widely consumed during the existence of pre-Hispanic civilizations.

Several archaeologists, such as Mario Vásconez, propose that the bread bus is a substitute for indigenous mummies because with the arrival of the Catholic religion, the native populations could not continue to take out their mummies in ceremonial acts.

This would explain the fact that the guaguas do not have limbs and that they only have an oblong body that carries with it cross ornaments similar to the ropes that indigenous mummies carried.

-Oral traditions

Oral tradition is the set of cultural expressions and stories that are part of the episteme of a people and that are transmitted from generation to generation through speech.

Within oral traditions you can find not only stories, but also songs, legends, myths and sayings.

As for the Ecuadorian legends, there are two stories that stand out within the peoples of the region: the legend of Father Almeida and that of the cathedral rooster.

The legend of Father Almeida

This story recounts the experiences of Father Almeida, who was known for his misbehavior because he used to drink large amounts of alcohol at night.

On one of his nocturnal walks, the father approached a statue of Christ, and legend has it that it spoke to him to reproach him for his abusive attitudes.

The father ignored the statue's wake-up call and continued with his wanderings. One day Almeida came across some men dressed in black carrying a coffin. The father approached it to see the face of the deceased and contemplated himself inside the wooden box.

This scared the drinker very much, who decided not to consume more alcohol; It is said that the statue of Christ began to smile after that event.

The legend of the cathedral rooster

This oral narrative deals with the life of Don Ramón Ayala, who during a drunken moment began to shout that he was "the biggest rooster in the neighborhood" in front of a cathedral.

Inside the enclosure there was a rooster that lived in the house of God. The latter got angry with Don Ramón and decided to challenge him by pecking him on the calf, causing him to fall to the ground. Don Ramón was very scared by this fantastic event, so he decided never to drink alcohol again.

-The indigenous legend of Mama Choasanguil

As for indigenous legends, there is a very popular one called Mama Choasanguil, which recounts an episode in the life of the daughter of the god of thunder. Growing up, she was brought to her father's altar to be offered as suitors for a possible marriage.

The majority of those present proposed that Choasanguil be married to Huayna-Capac, who was the penultimate king of the Inca Empire; This was for the purpose of expanding the ruler's offspring through the four cardinal points through carnal union with the daughter of the god of thunder.

At the time of delivery, Princess Choasanguil felt that the child was convulsing in her womb as if it were lightning. Upon learning of this, the princess's father decided to separate her from her husband and make her give birth in a different land.

When he found out what had happened, Huayna-Capac decided to go find his wife and son. The moment Huayna-Capac found the princess, she showed him the boy and told him that he was destined to fight for freedom and would be a courageous soldier, known by the name of Rumiñahui.

-The amorphous

A type of poetic composition that has a popular origin and is performed during rodeos is known as amorfinos.

Amorphine are essential within the Ecuadorian culture, since they reflect collective experiences generally related to love experiences.

-Black Mama Party

This celebration takes place mainly in the Ecuadorian highlands and has its origins in the 18th century, when the city of Latacunga was devastated by the Cotopaxi volcano.

After this event, the inhabitants decided to pay tribute to the Santísima Tragedia (also known as the Virgen de las Mercedes) in order to request protection against future eruptions.

During this festivity the population makes handicrafts and reproduces some poetry and dances. Men generally dress up as black women, painting their mouths red and their bodies black in order to look like Mama Negra.

-Inti Raymi solstice festivities

These celebrations are very popular within the Ecuadorian indigenous communities and their objective is to worship the elements of nature, such as the earth, the Sun, the water and the wind.

After the colonization, the Spanish decided to classify these festivities as the San Pedro festivities, which is why these celebrations are also known by that name.

-Tucumán or dance of the ribbons

This tradition is typical of the Ecuadorian highlands region and is characterized by having twelve dancers, who in turn weave twelve ribbons that are tied to a maguey stick.

At the top of the maguey the flag of Ecuador is hoisted. The length of the ribbons is approximately seven meters, while that of the stick is about five meters.

Usually this dance takes place during religious festivities and is one of the most important events of Ecuadorian folklore; for this reason it has an educational value and is carried out in various schools.

-The town bulls

As previously stated, Ecuadorian traditions are made up of cultural assimilations; This can be appreciated in this event, since it is a bullfighting show that has its reminiscences in the Spanish practices of the 17th century.

One of the differences of this event with the Spanish bullfighting is that the bulls are fought by the same public and not by the matadors; consequently, the animal does not die during these celebrations.

In addition, during bullfighting, participants must remove a quilt that is attached to the animal's body and that contains bills.

-The vote

This tradition takes place in eastern Ecuador and is typical of the indigenous communities that inhabit that region.

The event takes place during meetings or celebrations of the population and consists of the display of a table decorated with a fountain where various dishes are placed, such as some roasted guinea pigs along with some birds and certain specially prepared breads.

It also has some fruits, sugar canes and other gastronomic specialties of the region. It is called "the vote" since the participants vote for one of the members to make the meal at the next celebration or meeting.

-Celebration of the crosses

This event is of a religious nature and consists of an activity where the crucifixion of Christ is represented.

However, this event is not totally Catholic, since the indigenous culture turned it into a colorful parade where people dress up in very colorful clothes and march to the beat of the music.

Those who participate in this festival usually go to churches carrying banners and crosses in order to receive a blessing during the mass.

-Intake of guayusa

Guayusa consists of a drink prepared with the leaves of a shrub typical of the Ecuadorian lands that is medicinal and aromatic in nature, and is mainly found in the Ecuadorian Amazon.

The leaves of this plant contain high levels of caffeine, even higher than those found in coffee; therefore, it is used as a glucose-lowering muscle stimulant. Indigenous communities usually consume it in the morning and it is one of the oldest traditions in Ecuador.

References

1. Adum, V. (2017) 11 Ecuadorian customs that baffle foreigners. Retrieved on June 24, 2019 from Matador Network: natadornetwork.com
2. SA (2017) Customs, traditions and culture of Ecuador. Retrieved on June 24, 2019 from Diario Opinion: diarioopinion.om
3. SA (2017) Traditions of Ecuador: games, parties, customs and more. Retrieved on June 24, 2019 from Let's Talk about Cultures: hablemosdeculturas.com
4. SA (2019) 23 customs and traditions of Ecuador by region. Retrieved on June 23, 2019 from Foros Ecuador: forosecuador.ec
5. SA (sf) Customs and traditions in Ecuador. Retrieved on June 24, 2019 from Viaje Jet: viajejet.com