Ecuador
New year in Ecuador
New Year in Ecuador is as much about the Old Year as the new. Effigies are made of old clothes stuffed with newspaper and adorned with a mask. These are known as the "Año Viejos" or Old Years, and are burnt at midnight on New Year's Eve. The idea is to leave any negativity or problems behind in the old year and start afresh.
Christmas in Ecuador
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.
Administrative divisions of Ecuador
Ecuador is divided into 24 provinces (Spanish: provincias, singular – provincia). The provinces of Ecuador and their capitals are: