|
Popular Ecuadorian Holidays and Festivals
| January |
February | March |
April | May | June
|
| July | August | September
| October | November|
| December | Other (No
Specific Date) |
JANUARY
1
National holiday
Vacation all over the Country. New Year’s festivity. Costume
parties, dances, masquerades.
6
AMBATO (Tungurahua)
Epiphany. The “Niño” mass (baby Jesus), Christmas
carols, processions.
CUENCA (Azuay)
Epiphany. The “Niño” mass (baby Jesus), Christmas
carols.
GATAZO GRANDE (Chimborazo)
Epiphany, fireworks, praises, election of stewards and other typical
characters of the parade.
LICÁN (Chimborazo)
Epiphany, praises, processions, stewards and kings.
MONTECRISTI (Manabí)
Epiphany, popular bands and dances.
TISALEO (Tungurahua)
Festivity mass, strip weaving, “Niño” (baby Jesus)
vigil.
CHILLOGALLO (Quito-Pichincha)
Masquerade.
CALPI (Chimborazo)
Epiphany, praises, popular bands.
PUJILÍ (Cotopaxi)
Isinche Grande Hacienda. “Niño de Isinche” worship.
(Baby Jesus from Isinche). Epiphany, clowns, praises, chief cowboys.
TOP
FEBRUARY
1
MIRA (Carchi)
Charity Virgin Festivity, dances, ball games, fireworks, jump of
the bonfire.
12
National Holiday
Amazon & Galapagos Day. Amazon´s River discovery anniversary.
Civic events.
27
National Holiday
Civicism & National Unity Day. Remembrance of the Tarqui Battle.
Honors to the flag from all the sixth and twelve grade students.
Civic activities.
TOP
MARCH
3
ATUNTAQUI (Imbabura)
Representation of the Via Crucis (Calvary) in the Good Friday’s
night.
4
GUALACEO (Azuay)
The Peach Festival , fruit and flower exposition, raft in the Santa
Barbara river.
30
SARAGURO (Loja)
Fruit festivity.
TOP
APRIL
19-21
RIOBAMBA (Chimborazo)
Folk dances, parades, vervains, agricultural, industrial, artisan
and cattle fairs. Folk parades, popular bullfights.
22-26
IBARRA (Imbabura)
Latinamerican Artisan Exposition and Popular Fair
28
IBARRA (Imbabura)
In 1872 the city of Ibarra is victim of a huge earthquake, leaving
in ruins the whole city. Four years later, people from Ibarra return
to the same spot, and with a thanksgiving mass celebrate the day
of the “return”
TOP
MAY
2
CUENCA (Azuay)
Special mistic programs will be held at the “Cruz del Vado”
neighborhood. Mass, fireworks, folk concerts.
OÑA (Azuay)
The Cross festivity. Dance, popular bands, masquerade.
3
CHECA (Pichincha)
Lord of the Good Hope. Religious festivity. Typical games, balloons,
popular bands, card games.
11-14
EL PUYO (Pastaza)
Agricultural, poultry and industrial fair from the amazonic provinces.
24
National Holiday
Pichincha Battle anniversary. Parades, cultural activity.
TOP
JUNE
22
OTAVALO-COTACACHI (Imbabura)
Saint John’s festivity. Branch ceremony. Popular bullfights,
costumes, Saint John’s dance, jump of the bonfire.
SANGOLQUÍ (Pichincha)
Festivity of the corn. Parades, chorus, artisan’s expositions,
popular bullfights.
CALPI(Chimborazo)
Party of the “Gallo compadre” ( The friend rooster). Traditionally,
the rooster gets drunk and then buried. The best horse rider is
the one that pull out the animal. Fireworks, fire castles.
28 - 29
CAYAMBE, ALAUSÍ, TABACUNDO, CHECA, LICÁN, LA MAGDALENA,
PIMAMPIRO Y POMASQUI
Saint Peter’s and Paul festivity. Fireworks, popular bands,
popular bullfights, jump of the bonfire, costumes, typical food.
TOP
JULY
3-29
SANTO DOMINGO DE LOS COLORADOS (Pichincha)
Santo Domingo’s Canton anniversary, parades, dances, agricultural
and poultry expositions.
16
IBARRA (Imbabura)
Procession for the “Virgen del Carmen” (religious figure),
popular bands, fireworks
22
PELILEO (Tungurahua)
Pelileo’s Canton anniversary, civic parades, morning announcement.
23
MACHACHI (Pichincha)
“Chagra” (andean cowboy) feast. Horse paredes, popular
bullfights, popular bands, cattle exposition, typical food, dances.
23 - 25
GUAYAQUIL (Guayas)
City’s foundation anniversary. Parades, dances, art expositions
and several cultural events. International beauty contest “Perla
del Pacífico”.
29
PÍLLARO (Tungurahua)
Saint James the Apostle classic day. Popular bullfights, dances.
TOP
AUGUST
5
ESMERALDAS(Esmeraldas)
Celebration of the city’s independence day. Agricultural, artisan
and poultry fair, typical dances and music, parades.
5-7
SICALPA (Chimborazo)
“Virgen de las Nieves” (Virgin of the Snow) festivity,
fire castles, clowns, traditional characters, typical food.
10
FIESTA CIVICA NACIONAL
Conmemoration of the first proclamation of Independence. Military
parades, civic and artistic events.
YAGUACHI (Guayas)
San Jacinto festivity. Religious feast, Massive peregrination.
15-20
EL CISNE (Loja)
Festivity in honor of the Virgin of “El Cisne”, Three-day
.massive peregrination through 200 kilometers. Cultural events,
fireworks .
TOP
SEPTEMBER
LOJA (Loja)
Festivity from “El Cisne” continues, fairs, typical dances,
masquerades, horse races, cockfights, popular songs.
2-15
OTAVALO (Imbabura)
“Yamor” festivities. Indigenous beauty contest, popular
dances, typical foods and beverages offer. Folk music.
EL CINTO (Pichincha)
Festivity in honor of the “El Cinto” Virgin, stewards,
fireworks, processions.
 |
6-14
COTACACHI (Imbabura)
Festivity of the “Jora”. Folk dances, typical food and
cultural events.
8-9
MACARÁ (Loja)
Agricultural and cattle fairs, traditional shows and spectacles.
SANGOLQUÍ (Pichincha)
Popular bullfights, dances and parades.
11-16
MILAGRO (Guayas)
Agricultural and cattle fairs, car races, shows and cultural events.
20-26
MACHALA (El Oro)
The Banana World Fair. Artisan exposition, beauty contest.
LATACUNGA (Cotopaxi)
Festivity in honor of the “Mercedes” Virgin. Mass, processions.
23-24
LATACUNGA (Cotopaxi)
Masquerades, typical bands, fireworks, Midnight Mass. The “Mama
Negra” (Black Mother) parade. Characters of the festivity:
the captain, clowns, sheperds, musicians, military, typical songs,
praises, typical food.
QUITO (Pichincha)
Festivity in honor of the “Mercedes” Virgin, vigil, bands,
fireworks, fire castles, midnight mass. Procession near the Merced
church.
PIÑAS (El Oro)
Production fair. Shows and events
24-28
IBARRA (Imbabura)
Festivity of the lakes. Car races in the Yahuarcocha lagoon, verbains,
beauty contests, industrial, agricultural and cattle fairs.
TOP
OCTOBER
9
National Holiday
Guayaquil’s independence anniveresary. Concerts, sport events,
parades, regattas, and many artistic shows.
TOP
NOVEMBER
2
National Holiday
All-souls Day. Great concurrency to cemeteries. People furnish the
graveyards with flowers and cards. They stay all day near the graveyard
and “share” the food with the defunct. Typical food is
the “Colada Morada” (Purple Porridge), beverage made of
fruits and aromatic herbs, and the “Guaguas de Pan” (bread
babies), which is bread in the form of a human body.
3
CUENCA (Azuay)
National Holiday. Cuenca’s independence anniversary, parades,
artistic expositions, cultural events and artisan fairs.
4
MANTA (Manabí)
Manta Canton’s anniversary, parades and festivities.
21
EL QUINCHE (Pichincha)
Festivity in honor of the “El Quinche” Virgin. Thousands
of devoted people go to the church ipraying for miracles and favors
from the image of the Virgin.Commercial fair.
TOP
DECEMBER
1-6
QUITO (Pichincha)
Quito’s spanish foundation anniversary. Parties in all the
city. Bullfights, parades, sports events, wooden car races, tournaments.
Beauty contest, dances and celebrations in the streets and parks.
8
GUANO (Chimborazo)
Festivity in honor of the Guano Virgin. Stewards, bands, typical
food
24
National Holiday
Christmas. Representation of the Holy Family, Christmas carols,
midnight mass. Religious festivity. “Pase del Niño"
(Baby Jesus parade) in every city.
31
National Holiday
New Year’s Eve. Burning of the “Año Viejo”,
(Old Year), a doll that symbolizes this date. Dances, “widows”.
TOP
OTHER HOLIDAYS
(no specific date)
GOOD FRIDAY
(MARCH-APRIL)
QUITO (Pichincha)
Procession in honor of “Jesús del Gran Poder”.
Religious parade.
COTACACHI (Imbabura)
Representation of the Calvary and the Crucifixión with the
participation of natives.
RIOBAMBA-CHAMBO (Chimborazo)
Night procession in honor of the “Señor del Buen Suceso”
GUAYAQUIL (Guayas)
Procession in honor of the “Señor del Buen Suceso”
CARNIVAL
(FEBRUARY MARCH)
AMBATO (Tungurahua)
Fruits and Flowers festivity. Folk parade. Folk parade. Art and
artisans expositions. Bullfights.
GUARANDA (Bolívar)
Traditional three-day carnival, folk parades, dances, typical food
(the “Blue Bird”, typical alcoholic beverage), games with
water an flour.
ESMERALDAS (Esmeraldas)
Party of the King
CORPUS CRISTI
(JUNE)
CUENCA (Azuay)
Candy fair, fire castles, fireworks.
PUJILI (Cotopaxi)
Folk masquerades with dancers. Popular games, popular festivities.
TOP
| January |
February | March |
April | May | June
|
| July | August | September
| October | November|
| December | Other (No
Specific Date) |
|
Ecuador
Holidays and Festivals
