I found this piece about the strange custom they have on Mothers Day here:
At around 9pm groups of men convene, some with pick-up trucks packed in with microphones and amplification, others equipped only with their walking shoes and guitars strapped on their backs. After milling around for a while, the night's journey begins. The first mother to be surprised is usually the one whose son has lent his car or equipment. The group pulls up to the house as quietly as possible, hooks up the instruments and mics, and starts strumming the first set of tear-jerking chords. Around mid-song, the mother usually comes out of the house, accompanied by a daughter, tears in their eyes. The son gives a short and sweet Mother's Day
dedication, then continues on with the second song. At this point shot glasses are brought out from the house and filled with canelazo , a warm and potent traditional Ecuadorian drink.Now, with a quick burn in the throat and the blood a bit more alive, the group of men play a song or two more, then move on to the next mother. Since some of the men may live in the country-side, the drive or hike might take up to a half hour. Arriving at their destination, out come the instruments, with a repeat of the same Mother's Day songs, an emotional mother, and more alcohol. By this time it has reached midnight but there are at least three more stops to make. For the next stops, the serenaders, fired-up by drink, are notably more confident in their singing and off-chords are barely noticed. As the night gives way to the wee hours of dawn on Mother's Day, mother-themed songs can be heard echoing from the nearby hillsides of the Ecuadorian Andes. Unsuspecting mothers are awakened with the hear throbbing music, light switches flick on and matches light stovetops to prepare the steaming canelazo. With drunken hugs and warm wishes, sons reaffirm their love and appreciation for their mothers with the picked out tunes of guitars and bellowing voices. The last of the mothers are awakened at around 6am, just in time to prepare Mother's Day breakfast. By this time the serenaders are exhausted and hungry, but are able to squeeze out the last few songs of love before they collapse, ready to sleep. Although many mothers spend the eve of Mother's Day alone with their children while their husbands serenade the town, they are always filled with joy to wake to the rustling sounds outside their houses and the first few notes of a sweet serenade.
At around 9pm groups of men convene, some with pick-up trucks packed in with microphones and amplification, others equipped only with their walking shoes and guitars strapped on their backs. After milling around for a while, the night's journey begins. The first mother to be surprised is usually the one whose son has lent his car or equipment. The group pulls up to the house as quietly as possible, hooks up the instruments and mics, and starts strumming the first set of tear-jerking chords. Around mid-song, the mother usually comes out of the house, accompanied by a daughter, tears in their eyes. The son gives a short and sweet Mother's Day
dedication, then continues on with the second song. At this point shot glasses are brought out from the house and filled with canelazo , a warm and potent traditional Ecuadorian drink.Now, with a quick burn in the throat and the blood a bit more alive, the group of men play a song or two more, then move on to the next mother. Since some of the men may live in the country-side, the drive or hike might take up to a half hour. Arriving at their destination, out come the instruments, with a repeat of the same Mother's Day songs, an emotional mother, and more alcohol. By this time it has reached midnight but there are at least three more stops to make. For the next stops, the serenaders, fired-up by drink, are notably more confident in their singing and off-chords are barely noticed. As the night gives way to the wee hours of dawn on Mother's Day, mother-themed songs can be heard echoing from the nearby hillsides of the Ecuadorian Andes. Unsuspecting mothers are awakened with the hear throbbing music, light switches flick on and matches light stovetops to prepare the steaming canelazo. With drunken hugs and warm wishes, sons reaffirm their love and appreciation for their mothers with the picked out tunes of guitars and bellowing voices. The last of the mothers are awakened at around 6am, just in time to prepare Mother's Day breakfast. By this time the serenaders are exhausted and hungry, but are able to squeeze out the last few songs of love before they collapse, ready to sleep. Although many mothers spend the eve of Mother's Day alone with their children while their husbands serenade the town, they are always filled with joy to wake to the rustling sounds outside their houses and the first few notes of a sweet serenade.
All I can say is these poor women who work like dogs all year round till they are bent over and supposedly this is the one day they show them any kind of respect yet what do they do??? Wake them up at an unearthly hour with stupid serenading and then expect them to cook them breakfast! The blokes in our area seem to only start the singing at 3am so with that and the flu I have - I am one grumpy individual today! 
2 comments:
Very Interesting I am glad we dont live there and have to put up with that
A "lovely" tradition thought up by MEN! Seems to me it's just a boys drunken night out - complete with guitars (they must think they sing/sound better when they are drunk!). And they get away with it because the mothers are too soppy to whack them all over the head with a rolling pin and send them packing!
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