Ecuador is a country with a thriving tradition of parties (farras) and celebration. Indeed, most months include at least one major festival or long weekend, which usually involve colorful ceremonies and lavish feasts. Because Ecuador is over 90% Roman Catholic, most of the country's major holidays and celebrations follow the liturgical calendar of the Roman Catholic Church. Boasting the year's most extravagant festivities, these holidays can often be appreciated best in highland indigenous villages where days of nonstop feasting, drinking, dancing, and performing ancient rituals give traditional Catholic holidays a distinctly Andean feel. Most of the remaining holidays are celebrated to commemorate important political or historical events and achievements.

While holidays offer visitors an extraordinary glimpse at Ecuadorian culture and a unique opportunity to mingle with locals, they can also cause frustration by virtually shutting down the country. Often, banks, businesses, and governmental offices close, and popular tourist destinations become overrun. Therefore, visitors' experiences during holidays depend on how well they plan. Use the following guidelines to plan your holiday experience:

• Find out ahead of time when holidays are;
• Find out ahead of time where locals go for the holiday (or holidays) in question; decide where you want to be accordingly;
• Organize accommodations and transportation in advance, especially if you're going to a popular destination.

To help you best plan your trip, see the below list of Ecuador's major holidays, celebrations, and festivities. The list is far from comprehensive as many small communities and villages that don't appear on national lists (for a general description of other Ecuadorian festivals and celebrations, please refer to our festivals page and our indigenous markets page). The following list includes the most important holidays along with corresponding dates and a brief description of festivities that are usually involved. Those marked with an asterisk (*) are officially recognized holidays during which most government offices and businesses close. However, these holidays are rarely celebrated on a fixed date. Often, if an officially recognized holiday falls on a weekend, it is observed on the preceding Friday or the proceeding Monday, making a three-day weekend. Likewise, if an officially recognized holiday falls midweek, it may be moved to the preceding Monday or the proceeding Friday. Such decisions are frequently not announced until the last minute; sometimes Ecuadorians do not find out when a holiday will be observed until one day before. Accordingly, your best bet in these situations is to keep asking around, especially at banks or governmental offices.

January 1
New Year's Day*

January 6
Three Kings Day (a.k.a. Epiphany)*

February 12
Anniversary of the Discovery of the Amazon River
Province Day (Galápagos)

February 27
National Community Spirit Day

March and/or April
Carnival*
Celebrated just before Lent, Carnival is the ultimate party in the Catholic nations of Latin American. While not as extravagant in Ecuador as in other Latin American countries, celebrations here include waterfights and lavish parades. Ambato is a good destination with its famous fruit and flower parade takes place. Although the dates change annually according to the religious calendar, Carnival is always celebrated as an extended weekend prior to Ash Wednesday.

Some of the year's more festive celebrations take place in Holy Week when traditional religious processions give way to marathon feasts.

Easter and Holy Week*
Religious processions and an endless supply of fanesca (a delicious, typical stew eaten throughout the week) mark Palm Sunday, Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday, and Easter Sunday. Holy Saturday is the only official holiday on which stores must be closed, and merchants decide to open or close on the other days. Beaches can get packed during Holy Week.

May 1
Labor Day*
Typical parades and processions fill the streets of Ecuador, honoring workers worldwide..

May 24
Battle of Pichincha*
Military and civilian parades mark the day in 1822 when the country's most important battle in the war for independence from Spain was fought.

June
Corpus Cristi
Usually celebrated on the 9th Thursday after Easter, this religious holiday/traditional highlands harvest celebration includes ceremonies and dancing.

June 24
Saint John the Baptist
Celebrations in Otavalo and the surrounding highland communities.

June 29
Saints Peter and Paul
Celebrations in Otavalo and the surrounding highland communities.

July 24
Simón Bolívar's Birthday*
A nationwide celebration of the birthday of the famous South American liberator.

July 25
Founder's Day, Guayaquil
For two days, Guayaquil enjoys its biggest celebration of the year. The ciity shuts down for two days to celebrate Simón Bolívar's birthday and the foundation of Ecuador's most populous city.

August 10
Quito Independence Day*

September
Various harvest festivals throughout the country

September 1-15
Fiesta del Yamor
An annual festival in the highland town of Otavalo.

September 23-24
Our Lady of Mercy Festival (Latacunga)
Parades and parties follow religious processions.

Whether it's time to celebrate Carnival or a harvest festival, the small towns of the highlands are the place to be.

October 9
Guayaquil Independence Day*
Once again, Guayaquil combines holidays (Independence Day and Columbus Day) enjoying a multi-day festival.

October 12
Columbus Day*
Also known as "Día de la Raza" (Day of the Race), Columbus Day celebrates the day in 1492 on which Christopher Columbus (Cristobal Colón) first set foot on American soil in what is now known as the Dominican Republic.

November 1
All Saints' Day*

November 2
All Soul's Day (a.k.a. "Day of the Dead")*
On All Soul's Day, families visit cemeteries to dance, drink, eat, and leave flowers and other offerings for deceased friends and relatives in a convivial ceremony designed to celebrate the lives of those who have passed on.

November 3
Cuenca Independence Day*
The culmination of three days of festivities, this is the final day of Cuenca's biggest annual celebration.

November 11
Latacunga Independence Day

December 6
Founder's Day, Quito
The air in Quito takes on a more festive spirit throughout the first week of December as Quiteños take in bullfights, parades, and street dances, and ride around Quito atop Chivas (open-air party buses complete with live music and drinks). Also known as "Días de Quito" (Quito Days), this week is the opening act to a month-long gala for many.

December 24
Christmas Eve*

December 25
Christmas Day*

December 28-31
Year's End Celebrations
Staring with the Day of the Innocents, the entire nation symbolically prepares to enter a new year by burning human figurines in the streets as Quiteños end a nearly month-long party.