The traditions in Ecuador are very different than in the United States. I was lucky enough to take part in El Año Viejo (New Year’s Eve). The first night in Cuenca was December 31, and my host family included me in their New Year’s festivities. In Ecuador, each family buys or makes a dummy doll that is to be burned on New Year’s Eve. The dummy doll is made similar to a scarecrow; the body is stuffed with newspaper and a mask is used for the face. The mask can be of anything or anyone. I saw many politicians, animals, and cartoon characters. I even saw a Michael Jackson mask.
I went with my brother, sister, and grandpa to walk around the streets the night of New Year’s Eve. On the street, there were spaces marked off where there were scenes of all these dolls. For example, there was the Ecuador soccer team portrayed as dolls with soccer posts and a scoreboard. Another observation I made on the streets was that many people were in costumes. It felt more like Halloween rather than New Year’s Eve. I saw a Little Red Riding Hood, a few animals, and also some scary ghost masks. One of my friends in my class is staying with a family who dressed him up like Spiderman.
After our walk around the city, my family burned our own doll. We had one with an old man as the mask on it. Once we lit it, to my surprise, there were also firecrackers placed inside with the newspaper. For good luck, it is common to jump over the doll while it is burning.
Later my family explained to me that the dolls represented the burning of the old year and starting a new one. The doll also is a symbol for someone in the family or close to the family who had died that year. I’m not sure who my family’s doll was symbolizing, but I thought it was a beautiful way to show reverence and respect for the dead.
Another tradition for El Año Viejo is to eat 12 grapes. I was so confused at first why I was eating 12 grapes out of a wine glass. I looked it up online later and found out it is supposed to bring good luck. There are 12 grapes for each month of the year.
I am glad I got to experience this tradition with my host family. I have experienced New Year’s Eve in Hawaii and Mexico, but neither of those compare to the celebration in Ecuador.
