Happy 2018 from the Galapagos Islands!
December is one of our favorite months here at Ecoventura as we celebrate the holidays with our guests. Each year we celebrate the season with two special festive season cruises; one for Christmas and one for the new year.
Our holiday departures are very popular and already sold out for 2018. We encourage you to book now for our 2019 Christmas and New Years departures. We would love to have you on board with us next year!
Christmas Celebrations in Ecuador
Christmas is an important occasion here as Catholicism is predominant in Ecuador. This is a time for family traditions, prayer, friends, festivities, and incredible food. Ecuadorians pay special attention to the food during this time as they prepare meals that require more work and more hands to make. Families gather together on “Noche Buena” (Christmas Eve) to share a large meal. A great time is had by all as everyone enjoys music, conversation, and fellowship. Christmas day is for relaxation and recovery from the night before.
Traditional holiday meals in Ecuador include:
Pavo Horneado: Roasted turkey is a must have for Christmas dinner in Ecuador
Hornado de Chancho: Ecuadorian specialty for roasted pork leg marinated with garlic and beer
Image via Laylita’s Recipes
Pernil Lojano: Pernil is a roasted pork loin dish where the pork is marinated in a sauce of bitter orange juice, onion, garlic, achiote, cloves, cinnamon, cumin and panela and slow roasted in the oven for several hours.
Canelazo and Naranjillazo: Canelazo is a warm cinnamon spiced cocktail made with cinnamon, water, sugar, and aguardiente.
Gifts are exchanged on Christmas but they are traditionally smaller token gifts instead of overly extravagant gifts.
Christmas Cruise in the Galapagos Islands
We always make our Christmas departures extra special for you with holiday decorations, a Christmas tree, and sparkling lights. Our talented culinary team will prepare traditional Ecuadorian Christmas dishes such as turkey, pork, and all the trimmings.
Bringing your family? Don’t worry! Santa knows the way to the Galapagos Islands! Sometimes our captain even dresses up as Santa for the kids and shares small gifts.
Christmas is a magical time to travel with us in paradise!
A New Year in Ecuador
Ecuadorians sure know how to kick off a new year! Traditions focus on letting go of the bad experiences of the past year as they look forward to the new.
The people construct “años viejos” or “old years” in the form of large scarecrow-like dummies.
On December 31st, the años viejos are put on display and then burned along with the old year. These dummies are built to represent old fears, negative experiences, or people from the previous year. They are constructed of paper, sawdust, wood, and fireworks. Sometimes they are filled with lists of past worries and problems or wishes for the future.
Even without a New Year’s Eve party to attend, this tradition makes for quite a sight as these dummies are lit on fire at midnight!
Another tradition in Ecuador on New Year’s takes place when children and women (or men dressed as women) dress in black and play the old year’s “widow” role, crying and asking for some money or candies in the streets.
A well-known and popular tradition here is the eating of twelve grapes at midnight for good luck in the upcoming year.
While these traditions take place everywhere in Ecuador, the most exciting place to see New Year’s Eve traditions come alive in is Salinas, a beach town resort area close to Guayaquil.
Ring in the New Year with us!
Our holiday departures are very popular and already sold out for 2018. We encourage you to book now for our 2019 Christmas and New Years departures. To set the mood and get you into the celebratory spirit, we will greet you with party hats, noise-makers, and a champagne toast! We hope to celebrate with you in 2019 and help you bring in the new year with the adventure of a lifetime.
From all of us here at Ecoventura, we wish you a very happy new year! Contact us today to cruise on board our first-class and luxury vessels. Travel with us for Christmas or New Year’s in 2019 and experience the magic of the holiday season in the Galapagos Islands!
