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| guaguas de pan baked in school cafeteria ready to serve to all staff |
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| Juan David, one of our computer geniuses, with colada morada and guagua de pan |
This morning all staff at school were invited to share guaguas de pan and colada morada in the cafeteria. This was the explanation of the tradition, sent out to us:
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.
The ancient belief is that the soul visits its relatives during these days and should have plenty of food to be fed and be able to continue further on its journey to the afterlife.
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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