Carnaval is a holiday celebrated in many different ways throughout the world. Ecuador mixes the Catholic holiday’s traditions with Indigenous ones and celebrates in a completely unique way. This year, Carnaval was celebrated from February 10th - 13th. I spent the weekend with my friends and host family in Lumbisí where we played Carnaval, watched parades, and went to the Lumbisí soccer championships. It was a great and silly time!
Carnaval (also sometimes spelled Carnival) is a weekend long holiday and includes parades, performances, and parties. The main activity, however, is “playing Carnaval” or “jugar Carnaval”. Playing Carnaval is, first of all, something that everyone participates in. If you go to a Carnaval celebration, or are just walking down the street during the weekend, you are playing Carnaval. That means you might be sprayed with espuma (a soap foam that shoots out of cans like overeager shaving cream). You might get colorful dust or flour thrown at you. You might have someone come up behind you and wipe paint all over your face (don’t worry it doesn’t stain). You might get hit with water balloons, sprayed with water guns, or have an entire bucket of water just dumped on your head. You might get a raw egg cracked on your head.
