Ecuadorian Culture

This page is mainly about the Ecuadorian culture. Culture is an important thing to the country of Ecuador. The culture of Ecuador is also connected to religion. In this page you will learn about the clothing Ecuadorians wear, food, music, dances, festivals and other more interesting cultural facts.

Traditions

• In Ecuador people can greet you with their smile or just by saying "hi" in spanish. Some ecuadorian can greet you by saying hi but not in spanish but in Quechua, their native language. Some Andean people who live in the mountain regions still speak the Quechua language.
• Through out history, women were the ones who had to stay at home while their husbands went to work. Women had to stay at home to do the chores and take care of the children and serve their husbands. Today, that has changed in Ecuador. In Ecuador it is reversed. The woman now go to work and most men stay at home to take care of their children.
• Ecuadorians know were the people come from because of the way they are dressed. Many ecuadorians dress differently according to the place or region they live.
• Some festivals or holidays are celebrated differently in Ecuador. During the Christmas time in Ecuador the Novenas or house tours begin the holiday season and it starts nine days before Christmas. Ecuadorians visit different homes looking at the nativity scenes and decorations. Children at this time place their list of presents into an old shoe waiting for Papa Noel (Santa Claus) to come and visit. Everyone get together with their family to celebrate Christmas. A special cookie is made and is eaten as a specil treat.
• New Year's is also celebrated in Ecuador but in a different way than in other countries. The ecuadorian tradition is that in the New Year, they make dummy that is stuffed with old clothing and then is burned to celebrate the ending of the old year and the coming of the New Year. Ecuadorians also dress themselves as clowns to recieve the coming of the New Year in a happy and enjoyable way.

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