Day of the Dead

In Ecuador, the Day of the Dead is seen as a time to ‘catch up’ with loved ones who have passed away. Although observed to some extent by all parts of society, the holiday is especially important to the county’s indigenous population. During Day of the Dead celebrations, many families pack lunches of traditional food, flowers and offerings, and head out to the cemeteries, where they spend the day talking, eating and performing routine maintenance on the grave sites of loved ones. Although this tradition is in decline in urban areas, outside the big cities you’ll find entire communities gathering at the local cemetery for the occasion.
The staple refreshment of the holiday is colada morada, a thick purple drink that is consumed along with guaguas de pan, a sweet bread baked in the shape of dolls. Weeks before the holiday, supermarkets and bakeries begin selling the ingredients, as well as store-made versions of the drink and bread.
One of the best places to visit in Quito during the festival is San Diego Cemetery, known as ‘the Corner of Souls’. Its formerly grand tombs and paths lined with angel statues, crosses and other statues are decorated in colorful flowers during the holiday, and packed with people on November 1st and 2nd.

This celebration stems from the belief that the souls of dead relatives visit on this day and families need to ensure that there is plenty of food available for these souls so that they can gain strength to continue on their journey to the after life. This celebration is observed in many countries around the world with a few variations. In Mexico the celebration is called Dia de los Muertos meaning Day of the Dead, but in Ecuador the term Dia de los Difuntos meaning Day of the Deceased is preferred as it is seen to be more respectful. In other countries it may be referred to as All Saints Day or All Souls Day and many of the traditions associated with Halloween have been taken from these celebrations.
In the more rural communities of Ecuador, it is common for families to have a meal at, and even on, the graves of deceased relatives before leaving food for them. In the cities, families generally have their traditional meal at home, but still visit the cemetery to either leave food or flowers at the graves. In many parts of Ecuador this ritual is carried out for three years after a person has died and then stops, presumably by then the deceased person has reached his or her destination.
Traditional foods specific to this celebration are GuaGuas de Pan, which are baby-shaped bread, along with a sweet fruit based drink called Colada Morada. These slightly sweet bread babies can be up to 12 inches in length with a round shaped head and a body that tapers down to a point. They are decorated with icing and have something sweet, like jam, inside. Some families make their own bread babies, but most bakeries have them for sale for weeks prior to the celebration and they are on offer at cafés and restaurants during this period. The original meaning behind GuaGuas de Pan and Colada Morada is not quite clear, nevertheless they form an integral part of all Dia de los Difuntos celebrations throughout the country.
Throughout Ecuador the celebration of Dia de los Difuntos is seen as a time for families to reconnect with their ancestors as well as an opportunity to remember their roots.

These Guaguas are part of the celebration each year.  They are sweet bread filled with chocolate, jam or cheese.  Guagua is Kechi for baby.  To help the dearly departed have enough energy to continue forward in the afterlife these babies are put on sticks and stuck in the ground above the deceased.  We didn't see any of these on the graves at cemetery we visited but the people told us that is how things used to happen.

These are some fancy guaguas we saw in a store.

This is at the Guapulo cemetery near our home.  We have shown you pictures of the Guapulo church in the background.  It was steep climbing to get up there!

The departed are frequently put in above ground crypts which are then sealed.

A last abode for a more wealthy person!

Empty vaults!  The people have done a great job cleaning this cemetery for the celebration.  I don't know who cleans the walks but relatives clean the grave site of weeds and trash for their family members.

Mom likes to take my picture!

At first glance I thought it said Francom

Venders on the roadside selling flowers, guaguas and colada morada (a special drink for this holiday)

If you would rather you can by plastic!

To make colada morada first start with some berry juice!

The ward had an activity and we went by for a few minutes!  The pineapple and other fruits are added to the brew after it is thickened with red corn meal.

Then boil some herbs in water and add to the berry mix.  These herbs are bought as a group.  I guess the brew is very specific!!

Looks like ice cream but doesn't melt!  They told me it was guayaba but must be some sort of merengue 

Vendors at the big city cemetery

Lots of people in the cemeteries today!  You can't see how many but the sidewalks were standing room only.

Visiting the deceased, cleaning and adding flowers!

Crypts looked a little more expensive but harder to decorate!

Many were in big buildings!  This one had a little garden area at the bottom.

Things are getting fancier!!

This cemetery is huge!  Probably take me half an hour to walk around it if the sidewalks were clear.  Maybe 30 to 40 acres.

Day of the Dead Celebration in Ecuador

On November 2^nd many Latin-American countries celebrate the Day of the Dead. In Ecuador, for example, there are several customs, especially on the vigil. Many families get together in the cemeteries to pay tribute to their loved ones; time to celebrate one’s dead ancestors. There, they will bring flowers and music as a gesture of affection and longing. In some rural cemeteries and indigenous communities people still maintain Indian rituals where they bring food for the dead. This food is used as offerings and part of a ceremony of reencounter with their ancestors. The traditional food prepared on this festivity are the colada morada and the guaguas de pan.

The origins of the colada morada are not certain.  Some believe it originated during the Spanish rule, others affirm that it was during Prehispanic times. Carlos Gallardo, author of the book “Colada morada y guaguas de pan la esencia de celebrar nuestras memorias” after eleven years of research, he assures that this custom has Prehispanic roots. Before the Spaniards arrived to the Americas, the Indians already consumed a dark purple drink during the months of October and November in honor of their dead. It was called “yana api” or “colada negra”, made with fermented purple corn called chicha and mixed with llama blood. With the arrival of the Spanish conquistadors, the Catholic Church was outraged with this Indian rite. They knew that changing their customs would be difficult so they suggested replacing the llama blood with fruits, spices, aromatic herbs, panela (unrefined whole cane sugar) and purple corn flour. For the Catholic Church the color purple was also important since in the Liturgy it symbolizes penance and mourning. The colada morada is mostly made in the Ecuadorian Sierra region and its preparation is an excuse to gather family and friends.

The Indians in Ecuador used to prepare a corn-base product mixed with pumpkin and “sambo” a type of squash that resembles a watermelon on the outside. This product would be eaten in the presence of the bodies of the diseased at the cemetery. Again, the Catholic Church could not accept this practice so they boosted the elaboration of what is today known as the “guaguas de pan”. Guagua is a Quechua (Indian language primarily spoken in the Andes) word for child. This sweet bread represented the children who had died. Today, the guagua de pan, shaped in the form of a small child, is also filled with cheese, guava, fresh local fruits or chocolate.
 


At the Cemetery of El Batan, north of Quito, there were musicians playing nostalgic songs; their music filled the cemetery! Also, there were “tomb painters” who for one dollar cleaned and painted the tombs.