Capturing the faces and fun of Pase del Niño Viajero

Tens-of-thousands turned out December 24 for Cuenca’s Pase del Niño Christmas Eve parade.

Photos and text by Jeremiah Reardon

Cuenca’s Pase del Niño is one of Ecuador’s most important expressions of faith. The Christmas festival reflects the culture and traditions of a people who express their beliefs in varied forms of folklore. The processions in which their participants make use of religious costumes, are known as “Pase del Niño” because its center is always the image of the infant Jesus, generally dressed in very elegant clothes. The most important of the parades is the one on Christmas Eve dedicated to the “Traveling Child.”

My wife Belinda and I set out for the parade at around 2 p.m. The sunshine of the morning and its promise of sharp photos we’d be taking had faded under gathering clouds. Groups of gaily dressed indigenous people stretched out on the grass of Avenida Solano’s median strip as we approached El Centro. The hoofs of horses decorated in masses of ribbon and wearing ornate saddles clattered downward upon the hilly cobblestone street we slowly climbed after crossing the bridge over the Tomebamba River, recharged after months of drought.

“Do you think it’s ended, Jeremiah?” Belinda asked as weary participants passed us. I assured her that the parade would go on for another few hours. Walking across a busy Calle Larga within a few blocks of the main plaza, a festive air set in as we encountered more participants in search of a good meal.

At the intersection of Padre Aguirre and Simon Bolivar, one block west of the main plaza, we dove into a jubilant throng of spectators who celebrated in a light falling rain. We dug out our smartphones and snapped photos of the more colorfully dressed ensembles who danced and marched past us while waving happily. Here are some of our favorites.