Christmas Traditions In Ecuador

Christmas in ecuadorian cities.

Christmas traditions in ecuador. Furthermore it is time for families neighbors or groups of friends to gather each night in a different house to pray sing carols and eat together. It s a day when the whole family gets together exchanges presents and shares a meal. Christmas eve dinner or cena de nochebuena consists of turkey roast ham or chicken salads potatoes rice desserts and plenty of wine. Christmas in quito.

Ecuador has christmas traditions that are interesting if you are planning to visit the country during this season. Apart from giving gifts and spending time with the family christmas in ecuador also means decorating the house. Many families embellish their houses with christmas mugs dolls and cards hang christmas socks on the walls put decor on the front door and even install christmas light statues in the garden like the ones of santa or rudolph. In ecuador christmas eve or nochebuena translated to good night is an important part of christmas tradition.

In their homes many ecuadorians will decorate cypress or artificial trees on christmas eve. Christmas eve dinner in ecuador cena de nochebuena christmas eve supper usually consists of turkey or chicken grapes raisins salads rice with cheese local produce and wine or chicha which is a fermented or non fermented beverage made from grains corn or fruit. During the month of december pesebres or nativity scenes are erected in various locales. But many more will make their own nativity scene in the weeks prior to christmas.

Most ecuadorians are very religious and start festivities from mid december. They are often quite elaborate with traditional scenes of the manger and figures clothed in local or ecuadorian costumes. The decoration of the baby jesus in the stable together with mary joseph the shepherds the kings and all the others is seen everywhere and on a large sometimes life size scale. Christmas is one of the main religious holidays celebrated every year in ecuador on december 25 th.

The name novena refers to the 9 days of preparation for the birth of jesus christ. However many countries or cultures celebrate it differently. First of all ecuador loves to have big christmas trees. And the misa del gallo midnight mass is attended by the whole family.

In ecuador the christmas season starts with a tradition called novena the 15th of december. In quito as in the rest of ecuador christmas festivities are a mix of religious civic and personal celebrations. Though festivities vary from household to household most gatherings kick off the night before christmas.