Faith and Festivities of QuitoA 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. January 6, Feast of The Three Kings, brings a procession down Garcia Moreno. The 20th of every month belongs to La Dolorosa in her Rosary of the Dawn with a procession,. February 2, brings the Rosary of the Dawn procession in honor of Our Lady of Good Success. 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 for some. 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 on the blur. Good Friday in Quito Colonial, meant to bring people to repentance for sin and conversions, works only for the humble, 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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