You are currently viewing Christmas and New Year’s Eve in Ecuador
Christmas in Ecuador

Christmas and New Year’s Eve in Ecuador

Decorations

Ecuador has also adopted the custom of putting up a Christmas tree in the main square in recent decades, and there are ongoing competitions among small villages and towns as to which has the tallest tree.

As in many countries in South America, Ecuadorians create by hand pesebres, or nativity scenes, as their main Christmas decoration. The nativity scenes in Ecuador can get very elaborate indeed, with miniature figures of people, animals, and homes. Some of these scenes even have live plants and greenery covering hand-molded hills and valleys, with water running through in the simulation of creeks and rivers! All nativity scenes in Ecuador include figures of the Holy Family and the Christ Child in the manger.

Ecuador has also adopted the custom of putting up a Christmas tree in the main square in recent decades, and there are ongoing competitions among small villages and towns as to which has the tallest tree.

If you find yourself in Ecuador for Christmas, you may have the good fortune of witnessing the elaborate Christmas pageant, Pase del Niño Viajero (The Passage of the Traveling Child).

Christmas Food In Ecuador

Traditional Christmas Eve (Noche Buena) dinner features stuffed turkey or roasted chicken. It is also not uncommon to be served hornado de chancho, a roasted pork leg marinated in garlic and beer. The main protein is accompanied by rice, potatoes, salads and buñuelos. The latter is a deep-fried dough in the form of a sphere that can be stuffed with sweet or savory ingredients. To drink, tables are typically occupied by numerous wine bottles or chicha, a fermented corn beer. A favorite Ecuadorean Christmas beverage is rompope, an adults-only version of eggnog. Ecuadorians often use aguardiente, a liquor distilled from sugar cane, to spike the creamy drink made of eggs, milk and vanilla.

La Noche Buena

Ecuadorians attend mass after eating their big holiday meal. On December 24, Ecuadorians stream in large numbers to attend the misa de gallo (rooster mass) at midnight.

Rooster’s Mass ( Misa del Gallo)

What’s with the name? Misa de gallo is so-named because it goes into the wee hours and may end with the first rooster crow of the morning. That doesn’t stop locals from partying after leaving the church.

Similar About Ecuador