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	{{EW hero\|portal=pen\|kicker=~~[[:Category:Events~~\|Events]]\|emoji={{EW teaser/data\|Navidad y Año Viejo\|e}}\|title=Navidad y Año Viejo\|hook={{EW teaser/data\|Navidad y Año Viejo}}\|min=3}}		{{EW hero\|portal=pen\|kicker={{EW cat\|Events}}\|emoji={{EW teaser/data\|Navidad y Año Viejo\|e}}\|title=Navidad y Año Viejo\|hook={{EW teaser/data\|Navidad y Año Viejo}}\|min=3}}
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{{EW hero|portal=pen|kicker=[[:Category:Events|Events]]|emoji={{EW teaser/data|Navidad y Año Viejo|e}}|title=Navidad y Año Viejo|hook={{EW teaser/data|Navidad y Año Viejo}}|min=3}}
<languages/>
{{Infobox
| title = 🎆 Navidad y Año Viejo
| label1 = Dates
| data1 = December 24–25 (Navidad) & December 31 (Año Viejo)
| label2 = Type
| data2 = National public holidays
| label3 = Central traditions
| data3 = Monigotes (stuffed effigies), fireworks, family gatherings
| label4 = Also known as
| data4 = «Fin de Año» (New Year's Eve)
}}

'''Navidad''' (Christmas) and '''Año Viejo''' (New Year's Eve) are the two biggest celebrations of the December festive season on the Santa Elena Peninsula. Together they turn the last two weeks of December into a sustained holiday period that draws visitors from across Ecuador.

== Navidad — December 24–25 ==

Christmas in Ecuador is primarily a family celebration centered on the evening of December 24 (Noche Buena). Families gather for large meals — roast pork (hornado or pernil), rice, potatoes, and pan de pascua (sweet fruit bread). Midnight marks the main celebration; Mass (Misa de Gallo) is attended by Catholic families.

The beach towns on the peninsula begin to fill from December 23 onward as Guayaquil families take their summer vacations. December is the start of the beach season — warm water, calm conditions on the Santa Elena Bay, and the beginning of the high season that runs through Carnaval in February or March.

'''For visitors:''' Christmas Eve and Christmas Day are quiet during the day but loud at night — fireworks (voladores and cohetillos) are widespread and start in the evening of December 24. Most shops and restaurants close Christmas Day.

{{EW dyk|emoji=🏺|…Valdivia pottery, made on this coast around 5,500 years ago, is among the oldest in the Americas?|page=Valdivia|cta=Visit Valdivia →}}

== Año Viejo — December 31 ==

New Year's Eve in Ecuador is one of the most visually distinctive celebrations in the world. The central tradition is the '''monigote''' — a life-size stuffed effigy, typically made of old clothes stuffed with newspaper, sawdust, and fireworks, representing the old year. At midnight, the monigotes are burned in the street.

=== The Monigotes ===

In the days leading up to December 31, families, neighbourhoods, and businesses compete to create the most creative, most satirical, or most dramatic monigotes. Common themes include:

* Political figures — presidents, mayors, controversial public personalities
* Pop culture characters — cartoon figures, movie characters, local celebrities
* Abstract concepts — «the bad year», «corruption», symbolic figures
* Neighbourhood characters — humorous local figures known to the community

Throughout the morning and afternoon of December 31, children (and adults) dress up as ''viudas'' (widows) — in black dresses and exaggerated makeup — and perform theatrical grief over the year's monigote, stopping traffic and asking for ''coins to bury their husband.'' This street theatre is a deeply loved tradition.

At midnight, the monigotes are set alight — first with the internal fireworks, then the entire figure catches. Streets fill with smoke, fire, and the sounds of exploding fireworks inside the effigies. It is spectacular and extremely loud.

=== On the Peninsula ===

The most active Año Viejo celebrations on the peninsula are in '''La Libertad''' and '''Santa Elena city''', where neighbourhood-level monigote competitions are taken seriously and the main streets are lined with burning effigies at midnight. Salinas's malecón hosts organized events with music and a countdown. Montañita and Ayangue celebrate with beach bonfires and parties.

=== Practical Notes ===

* '''Fireworks''' are pervasive from about December 20 through January 1. Pets are often distressed; plan accordingly.
* '''Crowds and traffic''' are at their absolute peak December 28–January 2. Salinas and the Ruta del Spondylus fill completely.
* '''January prices''' are paradoxically lower than December — most visitors return home after New Year. If you can stay through early January, accommodation often drops significantly.
* '''Shops''' close early December 31 and all of January 1. Stock up the day before.

== The Holiday Season as a Whole ==

The period from approximately December 22 ('''Cantonización de Salinas''') through Carnaval in February/March is the peninsula's peak season. Accommodation prices reach their highest, beaches their most crowded, and the social atmosphere its most energetic. If you want to experience the coast at its liveliest — and can handle crowds — this is the time to come. If you prefer space and quiet, the low season (June–November) is a completely different and equally valid experience.

== See Also ==
* [[Carnival en Salinas]] — Carnaval guide
* [[Cantonización de Salinas]] — December 22 civic holiday
* [[Salinas]] — canton overview

{{EW explore|Carnival|Carnival en Salinas|Día de los Difuntos|Salinas|Ancon|Montañita}}
{{EW next|Cantonización de Salinas}}

[[Category:Events]]
[[Category:La Peninsula]]

Navidad y Año Viejo/en - Revision history

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