Christmas, or Navidad, in Ecuador is probably most celebrated holiday throughout the year. As a very religious country, Ecuador is also very family-oriented, but during Christmas family traditions are doubled, tripled, and quadrupled. Christmas is indeed family time, but there are, however, other incredibly sweet and heartwarming Christmas customs and traditions in Ecuador.
The rivers of Ecuador are an important part of the nation's geography and economy. Most of the over 2,000 rivers and streams have headwaters in the Andes mountain range, flowing therefrom either westward toward the Pacific Ocean or eastward toward the Amazon River.
Ecuadorian cuisine is diverse, varying with altitude, and associated agricultural conditions. Pork, chicken, beef, and cuy (guinea pig) are popular in the mountainous regions, and are served with a variety of carbohydrate-rich foods, especially rice, corn, and potatoes.