Faith/Fiestas/Festivities of Quito

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.

January 6, Feast of The Three Kings, brings a procession down Garcia Moreno when it happens on a weekend.
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.
March 25 presents a procession from the Basilica to El Panecillo in honor of the Annunciation.
Holy Week draws several processions on Good Friday - one being the big one from Iglesia de San Francisco.
May brings processions in honor of the month of Mary.
June presents the procession of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, sometimes an evening event.
In July, Carmen Bajo and Carmen Alto send their processions because these are cloistered nuns.
October, month of the holy rosary gives us processions for Mary.
November and December burst out with fiesta parades.

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.

Traffic Stoppers

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.

Meaning of Processions

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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