Carnival during pandemic

 As far as I’m concerned, free days on Carnival are ones of the most fun every year. However, because of the coronavirus pandemic and the lock down suggested by the government, this year was completely different than any other year. Carnival is important in my city Guaranda. It is, as many people say, the major party. The mayor used to plan a lot of events like free concerts and parades. Unfortunately, there was nothing during 2021. This was the right decision because health is first priority.  Therefore, I did quite different activities during the carnival long weekend.

On Saturday, I had a barbecue with 4 friends of mine. I spent the afternoon buying the food we are going to need. Because the house we had for our barbecue is in the countryside of my city, my best friend picked me up in her car. Once we arrived at the house, we started to cook and listen to music. We could share a great time with my friends.

As my family knew that there were no events on Carnival, we had decided to do a little family reunion to cook some traditional food, dance and sing together. Sadly, my uncle and my cousin did not have time to plan it, and we had to cancel the meeting.

However, we received a call from a distant cousin. She was so kind, and she invited my family to her family reunion. It was perfect. We came to the reunion, and we received a lot of love. We were comfortable and welcoming. At any house in Guaranda, especially on Carnival, people love to share food, as much as their guesses can eat. During this meeting, it was the same. We ate from the beginning to the end. They gave us fritada, chicha, mote and soup when we had just arrived at the house. The best part was when we played carnival with my cousins and sisters. We took some bowls with water and got wet. After that, they gave us more food: coffee and chigüiles. These last ones are a kind of wheat dough involved in corn leaves. The reunion ended and we were back at home at midnight! 

Coronavirus pandemic has had terrible consequences, but also has taught how to improve our relationships and find the way to overcome difficulties. Despite this unusual carnival, it was really fun. I spent an outstanding moment not only with my close friends, parents and sisters, but also with distant family.