All Souls' Day in Ecuador, as in many parts of South America, is the time to remember beloved family members who have passed away. Communications coordinator Pedro Díaz reflects on the importance of this holiday to Quito families.
For many Ecuadorians, this is a respectful practice that shows their devotion and respect to the dead by visiting their family members' graves.
We are proud that many of our sponsored population still celebrate the holiday in the same way as their fathers and grandfathers.
It is a common tradition, especially among our indigenous population. We share a picnic with our family, sitting right in front of a grave belonging to an important family member who passed away.
They are encouraged to bring food such as bread baked in the shape of little babies
(guagua de pan), corn, potatoes, fruits and other traditional meals to share with their families at the cemeteries.
Families also bring flowers and decorate the graves with garlands while everybody in the family shares a meal together. For many families, this is the time to show new generations that death is an important part of living and that their relatives will be always alive in their hearts.
In this north Quito indigenous cemetery, many sponsored children visit their deceased relatives and share with them a piece of bread and a traditional Ecuadorian drink, colada morada, made with berries, black corn flour, spices and local herbs.
These items are left at the graveside of the deceased ancestors as tokens of love and respect.
Most of the people try to spend the whole day with their deceased family members; however, there are a few who stay all night long, drinking and eating with them.
When I was visiting this cemetery, I understood the great feeling of sharing food with all of the family members – even those who are not living among us.
While walking among these families, I thought about how Ecuadorian society is based on strong family values, even though some of them can be hard to understand; like eating in a cemetery.
