Tuesday, November 01, 2011

Tradition

Tradition is abundant here this weekend for the celebration of the Day of the Dead. It is similar to a memorial day and many will visit the grave sites of departed loved ones. In the main squares, vendors have set up their stands selling colada morada (a purple drink) and guagas ("wah-wahs") de pan, or bread figurines.

The bread is shaped into figures and then decorated with faces. This dates back to an an old indigenous tradition of baking bread for departed loved ones and leaving it in the cemetery in hopes of sustaining their souls with food in the afterlife.

The thick, pasty drink is served either hot or cold. The ingredients for this concocted drink include: corn flour, herbs, cinnamon, sugar, apples, blackberries, pineapple, naranjilla, babaco, blueberries, and strawberries. We got our purple drink and bread to go!

3 comments:

Phillip Brande said...

Verry intresting.....

Phillip said...

Was the day of the dead on Nov. 1st or October 31st?

Bill and Tracy Coupe said...

It was actually celebrated the 2nd.