If you arrive in an Ecuadorian city and see people throwing water, eggs, flour, colored paint and spraying foam from large canisters, you've found Carnival! Be careful, though, because the foam in the eyes can sting and the paint will stain your clothes. This incredibly fun holiday happens every year before Catholic Lent in February. It is a three day celebration to let loose and have fun with friends and family before the serious observance of Catholic Lent is in effect for forty days. There are large colorful parades to witness. People dress in intricate costumes and dance through the streets. People put on concerts and bands play throughout the day and late into the night. Children and adults play together, throwing water, flour and eggs at one another. From the roof tops, people dump buckets of water, so you need to make sure to always look up! This silly holiday is very popular all over Ecuador, yet each city and pueblo has their own unique style and customs for celebration.
The tradition I learned about is mainly the celebration of Carnival. People normally unite with their families and take to the streets to watch the electric parades. The parades often include floats made of real flowers, as well as dancers wearing tradtional indigenous garb and some wearing colofully eccentric costumes.
