The festive cycles in Ecuador: a new proposal

Abstract

This article explores the festive cycles in Ecuador, highlighting their integration into the cultural and natural contexts of communities. The research reveals how music, dance and rituals in Ecuador reflect the interrelationship between the individual, society and the environment. Through a historical and ethnographic analysis, pre-Hispanic and colonial cultural manifestations are examined, evidencing the evolution of these festive practices. Various proposals for classifying festivities are reviewed, from Paulo de Carvalho-Neto's calendar, which is aligned with the Catholic calendar, to Segundo Luis Moreno's theories, which link festivities with solstices and equinoxes. The article presents an alternative proposal based on the agricultural cycle of corn and sun worship, covering from the huacchacarai in September to the harvest at the summer solstice. This classification offers a comprehensive view of the festive cycles in the Ecuadorian Sierra and their cultural influence.