This week is a very special week in Ecuador! Dia de los Difuntos (Day of the Deceased) is celebrated on November 2nd, and Cuenca's (a city in Ecuador) independence day is celebrated on November 3rd. The resulting four-day weekend has promised to be filled with lots of fun and learning about different cultural traditions.
I was lucky to spend this week in Quito (the capital city of Ecuador) for the orientation for my Fulbright group. It was a blast to make some friends and explore Quito. There is so much history in this city, and it is surrounded by beautiful mountains. It was also fascinating to experience this important holiday weekend in the nation's capital.
November 2nd marks the holiday of Dia de los Difuntos (Day of the Deceased). This holiday is widely celebrated throughout South America, and Ecuador is no exception. I heard you celebrated a similar occasion in 2X! What is it called? How did you celebrate with your Spanish teachers?
This holiday is an important tradition in Ecuador because it is a special way for people to connect with and pay resepect to their ancestors. Many families visit the graves of their loved ones to celebrate and honor them by cleaning, decorating, and praying. Although I do not have any ancestors in Ecuador, I visited Cemetario de San Diego in Quito to pay my respects to the deceased.
