LIVING IN ECUADOR - Corpus Christi Celebration in Cuenca - A Sweet Tooth's Delight!!!

CORPUS CHRISTI SWEET TREATS

 Yes, another "fiesta" in Cuenca!  This is one celebrating, partying, fireworks-blasting, food-vendor selling, family-shopping, sweet-tooth craving city!!!  It's not unusual to see Ecuadorians walking around this vibrant city smiling and enjoying their daily ice-cream fix, but this sweet-tooth "religious" celebration has topped any amount of confection and sweets I have ever seen in one place in my entire life - no exaggeration!!

I'd never even heard of Corpus Christi.  So, what is it?

A little history of Corpus Christi (Body of Christ) or Septenario (Seven Days):

• In Latin, it means, "Body of Christ."
• It takes place sixty days after Easter Sunday and last for seven days.
• In the Catholic religion, it is one of the most important holidays of the liturgical calendar.
• It is celebrated around the world.
• Seven years after the founding of Cuenca, Corpus Christi was introduced by the Spanish in 1654 to replace the Inti Raymi, an Inca celebration of the harvest.  

In Cuenca, Ecuador, vendors set up booths around Parque Calderon and along the streets of the flower market area, displaying mounds of colorful sweets.

  

For seven nights, I have viewed from our apartment terrace the most amazing light shows of loud and colorful rockets of fireworks blaring above the three domes, as this beautiful historic city has come alive once again. Throughout the day and night, El Centro had been adorned with colorful lights, delicious displays of every candy you can imagine, and beautiful Ecuadorian families milling around their city center buying and savoring sweet treats and celebrating another one of Cuenca's religious and festive events. 

Ecuadorian children love their special fiestas and delicious sweets.....

Mounds of Sweets Galore!

A vendor waits for her sale!

A shopper selects her treats.....

Cream-filled pastries - one of my favorites!

  Vendors were meticulous about their presentations and displays....

.....and every booth had it's own unique assortment of colorful candies and pastries!

Of course, the sweetest of treats for me every day in Cuenca are the beautiful children I get to embrace and photograph! 

Today is the last day of a seven day celebration!  As I sit here in my cozy city flat listening to the rockets bursting in the air, I wonder what the next Cuenca cacophony will be as this city continues to celebrate its many religious traditions and festivities.  There's always something here to look forward to.  What's not to love about Cuenca???

So, guess how many candies and pastries Bo and I ended up buying throughout the course of seven days?