A spectacle with a medieval atmosphere, “Arrastre de caudas” – or “dragging the drapes” – is the only funeral ceremony performed in honor of Jesus Christ every year on Holy Wednesday, Easter.

The Catholic ritual originates from Seville in the 16th century, but it is held exclusively in Quito, the capital of deeply religious Ecuador.

This ceremony imitates the Roman funeral rite in which the army pays tribute to high-ranking military officers and generals who have fallen in battle. It was believed that through the ceremony, the bravery and virtues of the deceased commander were transferred to the soldiers, as if passing them on to the members of the army. During the church ritual, of course Jesus takes the place of the deceased general; the people stand in the place of the soldiers, imbued with the virtues of Christ.