Being a Roman Catholic country, many of the country's festivals are oriented to the liturgical calendar, and are celebrated with a combination of great pageantry and elements of the traditional Indian fiesta. Rural areas in particular have a real party atmosphere, and Día de los Muertos on 2 November is especially colourful, with flower-laying ceremonies held in cemeteries - these tend to resemble parties more than sombre remembrance services. Other holidays are of historical interest, for example Simón Bolívar's Birthday on 24 July and Columbus Day on 12 October. The Carnaval features water fights and fruit and flower festivals. Corpus Christi is a movable feast in June and combines with traditional harvest fiestas in many highland towns. The larger cities have founding and independence days which virtually bring them to a partying shut down. They include Guayaquil, Otavalo, Cuenca and Quito, and most towns and villages also have their own special days. Shops, offices and services are closed during holidays and festivals, and transportation is often very crowded - book well ahead if possible.

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