Festival de La Virgen de la Cobre: The Festival of the Copper Virgin

Earlier in the month of September, we had the pleasure of experiencing a colorful cultural event in our current home town. San Clemente is a small fishing village of approximately 2,000 people located on the central coast of the Manabi Province. The celebration is one called “Festival de La Virgen de la Cobre”, which translates to the Festival of the Copper Virgin. This particular celebration is a wonderful collaboration of religion and folklore. Which of the two is the stronger influencer, I truly am not sure! I hope that by this time next year, my Spanish has improved enough to reveal my many curiosities. What I have learned is this; The Virgin of Copper is directly related to the devotion of the Virgin Mary. She is further resembled through a Catholic legend that tells the story of fishermen lost at sea who were then guided home by this entity. The Virgin of Copper appeared to them, after the men prayed to a golden medallion of the Virgin Mary, as worn by one of the fishermen. She floated near them, attached to a raft, with an inscription noting “I am the Virgin of Charity”. They followed her ashore, and then brought the statue home. It was notable that she lacked any signs of being wet, after being afloat at sea.

It was declared that she, this Virgin of Copper, had led the fishermen safely home. And so, for over 300 years, this legend adopted from Spain has lived on in Catholic cultures around the world. Statuesque shrines are known as either the Lady of Charity or as the Virgin of Copper are found in Spain, Cuba, France, the Philippines…and most certainly in this tiny fishing village in Ecuador.
As a non-catholic and non-native to this fabulous place that we now call home, I had no inkling about the significance of the weekend that laid out in observance of this holiday. A devout catholic region, Ecuador is keen on the practices of religious tradition. No parish, large city, or small village is exempt from lively celebrations. Each community finds a way to honor history, however humble or lavish it may be.
In our particular village, the streets were cleared of traffic for the better part of 4 days and nights. Vendors, musicians, and entertainers of all varieties set up shop to welcome thousands of participants including locals and tourists alike. The smells of traditional cuisine wafted through the air complimented by the thumping mix of modern and cultural music. Babies and children, teenagers, and elders, with the middle aged alike, all gathered shoulder to shoulder and hip to hip to immerse in the festivities. Cowboys wrecked through the streets on their dancing horses, glass bottles of moonshine sloshing poison past their spurs. Grown men guffawed from the street corners as clowns captivated the crowds with their crude and inappropriate, but hysterical antics. Children cried with laughter, pushing past each other, eager for the closest encounter possible to catapult them to the center of attention.

The merriment was intoxicating, luring us back to the town center over and over through the passing days. Normally indulgent in our solitude, we couldn’t help it, but to continually center ourselves in the commotion. Even through the late night hours, we lay in bed covering our heads with pillows and tapping our toes to the lingering beats. We could not escape it, and even without a drop of alcohol between us, we woke up dizzy with hangovers; finding it impossible to distinguish the minutes between the first day and the fourth. The mid morning hours were the only respite, as the celebrators stole a few precious winks to recharge for the next festivity.

Upon the exit of the memory saturated weekend, we came to realize that we had witnessed our first Ecuadorian holiday. After being stunned in the absence of the commercial celebrations of St. Patrick’s Day, Easter, Memorial Day, and the Fourth of July, we had finally experienced a true holiday! It was everything we had dreamed of in terms of living the vibrations of another culture, and was nothing in remote resemblance to our previous perceptions of holidays. We’ll be marking this one on the calendar, sure to not miss it next year. After all, it was something like Christmas in September!






Oh this sounds like so much fun. How well you told the story. It is like so many festivals we have encountered in Mexico and South America. Epic enthusiasm, colour, and stamina!
Alison
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Thank you, Alison, I really appreciate your feedback! So far, the festivals have far exceeded my expectations and we are all just crazy about them. The best part, is the surprise factor, having no idea when we might stumble across one!
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I was JUST in Ecuador. I’m so sad that I missed this. Sounds like a really awesome experience. How long have you lived there? Do you enjoy it? We really fell in love with the country when we were there.
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We found that stuff like this isn’t really searchable online so it’s easy to miss, you find out about it from a local telling you about it, or by simply stumbling upon it! We have know been here for 8 months, and we absolutely love it. I’m glad you enjoyed the country as well, where were you?
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This is such a colorful festival. I like how those children value and embrace their culture by sharing and showing willingness to perform that dance. It must be really fun and something that everyone should try.
LaiAriel
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Absolutely! It is incredible to see such a strong connection between the generations. To understand that the stories of their heritage continue to be prominent aspects of their lives and cultures. Inspiring and Fascinating!
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Am going to Ecuador the next year and your colorful picture convince me to join the Copper Virgin festival. It looks like a colorful country with colorful dress and colorful food. I would love to try the purple popcorn too!
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Congratulations on your upcoming trip to Ecuador! I am sure you will be pleased with your experiences. Please feel free to contact me if you’d like to see this festival in our village! I’d be happy to help you in planning your stay! You can send us a message from our Facebook Page of the same name.
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What an excellent ‘report’ on life in this country. I found the photo of “Special Needs” dancers particularly interesting as I have two Downs Syndrome Nephews and am always interested in how these loving children fit into the fabric of daily life in other countries.
Thanks for sharing!
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That is also one my favorite photos! I have found the culture here to be widely accepting of all types of people. It is heart warming to see all members of the society being included in all aspects of life with joy and respect. I have never had an experience like this one in my life, and it was quite eye opening to the ways of my own native culture.
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Wow, this is interesting. Never heard of the copper virgin before. Just tried my first Ecuadorean restaurant this past summer. Hopefully I’ll visit the country before I turn 40!
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Thank you! I would love to know where you went to an Ecuadorian restaurant, and what kind of food you ate there!! Ecuador is a fabulous country for so many reasons, don’t miss it!
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La Puntilla in Jackson Heights, Queens. Got ceviche.
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Awesome! Hope it was good!
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