San Juan Bautista in Ecuador (24/06)

The San Juan Bautista holiday (Fiesta de San Juan Bautista) is held annually in the town of Otavalo (Ecuador). It represents ritual actions performed in honor of the Mother of the Earth (Pachamama), during which the city is literally buried in the noise of the holiday.

The San Juan Bautista holiday is very ancient, according to some estimates it dates back to the era of the Inca Empire, that is, before the 11th century AD. In content, San Juan Bautista is similar to the Slavic holiday of Ivan Kupala.

Like a Slavic holiday, the Ecuadorian festival celebrates the summer solstice, and the modern date is associated with the Nativity of John the Baptist. San Juan — Saint John.

The main characters of the holiday are local men. They dress in women's dresses, skirts and other varied costumes, some of which are quite amazing. In these robes, men begin to walk the streets and dance, moving from one house to another. The dance ends when the procession reaches the Chapel of San Juan. One of the spectacular episodes of the holiday is battles simulating ancient battles.

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