A strong faith predominates in colonial Quito, and celebration of festivities of culture continuously light up the sky with fireworks by night as daylight displays spontaneous parades.
Fiestas de Quito and other festivities burst forth in colonial Quito throughout the year, but the year begins with the burning of the old year in effigy and the welcoming of the new in little bonfires up and down the streets and fireworks throughout the city.
And that's just to name a few.
The whole year continues in rythmic celebration balanced with devotion.
Sometimes, like a cloud descending on Quito, a blur between parades and processions never clears.
Parades stop traffic - on stilts and not - to celebrate, to laugh, to fill the air with music, to celebrate an anniversary, to call attention to some cause - even political - or to display culture or anything else important to young and old at the moment.
Processions mean faith and honor God and His saints through visual and vocal aids as prayer and song resound through the streets and up or down El Panecillo or any available hill. They should never, ever honor self, especially when dance is added. This brings out the blur and the younger generation is making it ever more blurry.
Good Friday in Quito Colonial, meant to bring people to repentance for sin and conversions, works only for the humble and devout, as does any practice of true penance.
Penance is supposed to be practiced in a hidden way, but sometimes the participants announce to others outside the members of the group that they will be marching, defeating their purpose.
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