What you need to know about Diablada de Pillaro
The “diablada” or devils party is celebrated in the town of Píllaro, province of Tungurahua, from January 1 to 6 of each year, each day a different neighborhood get organized to present their parade on the main streets of the town.
Its origin comes from the colony time when the natives used to disguise themselves as devils in rejection of the Catholic religion, physical, psychological, economic and moral abuse they received from the Spaniards.
Even when the devil has become the main character of the festivity, because of the internationally famous masks, made of paper, glue, cardboard and real horns of some animals; the elderly people of the community indicate that the party did not always focus on them and that it also had a strong social and political meaning of symbolic take on the part of the “peripheral” neighborhoods of the administrative and white-mestizo center of the city.
Actually, it was not even called “diablada”, but, the disguised party. Other main characters are the line dancers, men, and women elegantly dressed that represent the high social class of the colony.
The festivity was recognized as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Ecuador in January 2009, and is one of the many you can enjoy while you are in Ecuador.