On November 2nd, All Souls Day is celebrated in Ecuador with unique manifestations of religious syncretism. Throughout the country people visit the memorial parks to honor their departed. Indigenous communities massively visit cemeteries keeping an old pagan tradition of taking along the favorite food dishes to share with their loved ones by their graves.

They eat quietly and slowly in a solemn ceremony, sharing food among the families. Some of them circulate around the cemetery exchanging foods. They give food as a reward for those who pray for their departed.

Among some indigenous communities of the highlands, there was a tradition of ringing bells all throughout All Souls Day. The belief was that the “voices” of the bells would liberate some souls from the purgatory.

They also used to bring along candles and introduce them into pitchers of blessed water, a ritual that was believed to extinguish the flames that burn the souls of the purgatory. Spilling water on the cemeteries’ floor was also believed to refresh the penitent souls.

The typical food for All Souls Day is “guaguas de pan”, accompanied by a beverage called “colada morada”. These foods have a remote origin in the Incas, who offered their gods their bodies and blood in sacrifice ceremonies.

“Guaguas de pan” is bread baked in the shaped of child figurines decorated with pastry frosting. “Guagua” is the Quichua word for “child”.

“Colada morada” is a drink of a variety of berries with other exotic fruits and spices that give this beverage its purplish color.

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