Most of the country’s population is Mestizo, people with blended Spanish and indigenous ancestry that share a Hispanic culture influenced by Roman Catholicism and Amerindian culture. Ecuadorians are a religious, family-oriented people with traditional gender roles, who enjoy music, dancing, food, and sport especially soccer and horseback riding. The country has produced many globally-recognized artists and writers over the centuries.
The lifestyle
The first thing to realize about Ecuadorian culture is that it is not one separate culture. Instead it is a whole range of cultures mixed together, representing every level of this very stratified society. The country’s official language is Spanish, but Quichua, an Incan language, is spoken by the Indian population. Besides Spanish, ten native languages are spoken here. English is the widely spoken foreign language amongst tourism service providers and professionals.
The Afro-Ecuadorians that are present in Ecuador today are famous for their marimba melodies and many music and dance festivals. Long before the Spanish conquered Ecuador and even before the rise of Incan civilization, the unique native cultures of the region had rich musical lifestyle. Tunes played an important role in the ancient Andean people’s lives and archaeologists have found some very old instruments, such as, drums, flutes, trumpets and other musical artifacts, in ancient graves.
The people here have a distinctive type of dress code. The men and especially the woman in each region of Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands can be easily identified by their dress as it is displays specific cultural facets that are characteristic of that particular region. A major aspect of Indian identity is present in the country. People that are familiar with the native dress can often tell sketchy where an Indian is from, based on what they wear.
Ecuador has some very tasty and very strange combinations in its cuisine. You can expect to find some lemon marinated shrimps, toasted corn on the cob and a huge choice of pastries filled with all types of different stuffing. As with all other regions around the world, Christmas is celebrated here. If you want the best and most original Christmas celebration, you should go to Cuenca on the Christmas Eve where the Pase Del Nino is held.
Etiquette
- The most common greeting is a handshake with direct eye contact coupled with a smile.
- A young girl’s 15th birthday is considered a special date and is much celebrated.
- If you get invited to an Ecuadorian home, bring flowers, good quality spirits, pastries, imported sweets for the hosts.
- A bouquet of roses is always well received.
- Dress well as this affords the host respect.
- Don’t discuss business at social events unless prompted to.
- It is considered good manners to reciprocate any social invitation.
" Its a place to be" - Martin from Canada
