The Pase del Niño Viajero, a significant religious and cultural event in Cuenca, Azuay, brings together Andean popular religious traditions with Catholic faith. The event was declared a National Cultural Heritage on December 24, 2008, through Ministerial Agreement No. 143 under the then-current Cultural Heritage Law. In 2016, the Organic Law of Culture included it in Ecuador’s Representative List of Intangible Heritage.
The celebration spans several months and centers on a main procession each December 24. This procession features the image of the Niño Viajero traveling through key streets in Cuenca, starting from San Sebastián neighborhood and ending at Carmen de la Asunción church. The route has remained largely unchanged over time.
A distinctive aspect of the procession is the participation of children dressed as biblical figures such as the Virgin Mary, Saint Joseph, the Magi, and angels. Other participants include dancers and people representing traditional characters from various indigenous groups in Ecuador. These displays reflect local syncretism and popular religiosity.
Large crowds attend El Pase del Niño Viajero thanks to coordination among neighborhood organizations, civil society groups, and religious institutions. These groups use traditional organizational methods rooted in their devotion to ensure the event’s success.
In 2025, the national government worked through the Ministry of Education, Sport and Culture and Technical Directorate Zonal 6 of the National Institute of Cultural Heritage to provide technical support for updating the Safeguard Plan for El Pase del Niño Viajero for 2025–2027. According to officials: “Thanks to this effort and once approved, this programmatic plan aims to consolidate itself as a participatory management tool designed to guarantee continuity, relevance and sustainability of this emblematic manifestation so that it remains a central reference for religious, cultural and heritage life in Cuenca and all Ecuadorians.”
