This festival is held in diffent sites in Cusco, also at the San Blas square, and little villages around it, each year on January 6th, 12 nights after Christ is born, also called Epiphany. The Reyes Magos are more commonly referred to as Three Wise Kings (Caspar, Melchior and Balthasar). It is a Christian celebration which commemorates the visit by the Three Wise Men bringing presents of gold, frankincense and myrrh shortly after Jesus' birth. A lot of people dress up in traditional clothers, reenacting history, preforning dances and ceremonies.
Throughout the regions of Cuzco and Puno, particularly in the little village of San Pablo, which lies between the two, acurious race is held every year.
The race is run between the three kings Gaspar, Melchior and Balthasar, under the names of Inkarri (Inca king), Mistirri (Mestizo king) and Negrorri (Black king).
It is said that the the three kings have the power to predict the future. If Inkarri, who represents the valleys of Cuzco, wins, it will be a year of good harvests, whereas the victory of Mistirri will bring about a good year for the intermediate regions, the altiplanos, where cattle and llamas are kept. Negrorri, who represents the bleak and barren mountain peaks, will bring no bountifulness or fertility of any kind, but money.
Carnaval is one of the most joyful festivities in Peru. The festival is imported from Europe, but is mixed in Peru with andean traditions celebration the recent harvest and the fruits that is given to men by Pacha Mama (mother Earth). This is also the origin of throwing water to wet eachother, which comes from a tradition on the countryside, giving reverence to water which makes the Pacha Mama fertile.
In Christian view the word Carnaval comes from the Italian word Carne-Valare which means as much as "meat goes". Carnaval is celebrated before Ash Wednesday, before the Lenten season of 40 days up to Easter.
Carnaval 1s celebrated in all areas of Peru with corzos, dances, processions and miss Carnaval elections. in Puno the festivities are celebrated in combination with the Virgen de Candelaria celebrations.
On the Andean countryside Carnaval is celebrated with a "Yunzada" which consists in the plantation of an artificial tree in a hole in the ground. Tn the tree gifts are attached. The participants dance arround the tree and chopping the tree in turns. the person, or couple tath make the tree fall will organize the festivity next year.
The Virgen de Candelaria is celebrated at different sites in the world, especially in Tenerife where she first appaired. She is also the patron of Puno. The rich historical traditions of the Aymara and the Quechua come together for the Virgen de la Candelaria festivities.
Puno is Peru's capital as for folklore. This festival is celebrated with a lot of fireworks, big masses, banquets, music and dancing in the streets. There are street parties at all hours of the day and night, folkloric dance and music competitions, brass bands and the diablada, the dance of the devils which accompanies the procession of the Virgin on 2 February.
The festival, a Catholic celebration, displays at its best what is to be underdstood is Latin American Christianity. The procession of the Virgin mantains a strict hierarchical order, with priests and altarboys first, followed by the Christians and the pagans, but that's as far as it goes: after that it's a free-for-all.
The diablada, or dance of the devils, which was allegedly dreamed up by a band of local miners trapped in a shaft as they prepared themselves to consign their souls to the Virgin, somehow manages to be both sombre, joyous and crazy. Horned devils and hook-nosed, cruel conquistadores dance through the streets to the sound of pan-pipes and drums, accompanied by stylised animal masks and Jacancho, the god of minerals and mining. The Virgin, or Mamacha Candelaria as she is known, seems perfectly happy to share the devotions and offerings of the locals with Pachamama, the Earth All-Mother.
At the end of the festival the dancers head for the cemetery, to remember and pay homage to the dead.
On the Monday after Palm Sunday the week starts with the procession of the Señor de Terremotos, carried through the streets of Cusco. Legend has it that this image of Christ, sent by Philip V of Spain to help the conversion of the Indians, became blackened following an earthquake on May 31, 1650. Temblores means Earthquakes.
On Jueves Santo the mother of Christ, la Virgin dolorosa, is carried through the steets of Cusco. Good friday
is celebreted mostly in family. Twelve traditional dishes are served, from soups, fish, potato dishes to desserts. In some families this ritual
repeats itself on Easter Sunday, resurrection day.
This day many Catholic crosses in Cusco and the villages around are honnored. A "Mayordomo" voluntarily asumes the major part of the cost the celebration has for the local communities. He provides food and drinks for the community. The movable cross is taken to the Mayordomos house the 2nd of May, were it is placed on an altar. The people from the community eat, drink and dance listening to the music a band plays. The next day the cross is dressed up in new "clothes" and is taking to the church. After receiving blessings the cross is returned in procession back to the Mayordomo's house. Sometimes it is taken to the house of the next year's Mayordomo. The 4th the cross it taken to its original place. Of course there is a lot of music played by bands following the crosses.
In little villages it sometimes happens that women get pregnant this day due to the big amount of alcohol people drink. Women that register their babies after 9 months, often do not know who the father is. The register clerk often give these babies the last name of Cruz or Santa Cruz.
Qoyllur Rit'i is a festival late May or early June. Its location is the Sinakara valley, close to the magnificent Ausangate mountain, high above the village of Mawayani in the province of Quispicanchis at about 4,600m.
This festival is is getting more popular every year, every town and village near Cusco sends 1 or 2 groups of dancers.
Qoyllur Rit'i in Quechua means 'Snow Star' and often said to be a pre-Inca fertility rite.
Today the festival is overlaid with Christian significance. At the church, built high on the mountainside, pilgrims worship a rock featuring the image of the Messiah, singing hymns in Quechua and performing traditional dances. Many people come to him for earthly blessings - trucks, houses, jobs - while others want success with college studies or luck in finding a suitable marriage partner. Some come hoping to be cured of an illness. The ice water from the glaciers is considered a medicien.
The overwhelming first impression of this fiesta is that of chaos, discomfort and confusion. Literally thousands of dancers and hundreds of bands mill about the valley slopes, the air is filled with noise and smoke.
To reach the valley you must first walk 8 km from the highway. The cold is brutal, and by day the high altitude rays of the sun burn down ferociously.
The celebration of Corpus Christi used to be celebrated in the whole country, but the Fiesta is most impressive in Cusco. The festival starts 11 days before the main day with a procession of the Virgin of Bethlehem to the Santa Clara church. 8 Days prior to Corpus Christi, about 15 saints and virgins (images) from many churches, some of them several miles out of town, start wending their way to Santa Clara, the meeting point for the saints and virgins. On Corpus christi day the images are carried to the cathedral of Cusco. This day and the night before the typical chiriuchu is eaten. The plate consists of cuy (guinee pig), toasted maiz, blood sausage, fish eggs, cheese, chalona o charqui (dehydrated meat), omlette and other ingredients...
The procession on the main day takes places at around 11am. The Plaza de Armas will be crowded with people that came to see the saints. After the procession, the saints go into the main cathedral.
On the eighth day (el octavo), the saints participate in the procession to go back to their churches where they will remain for the rest of the year again like during Corpus Christi accompanied by musicians, dancers and the faithful.. Corpus Christi is a very colourful and traditional ceremony. It is a good opportunity to experience Peruvian traditional culture.
Inti Raymi or Festival of the Sun is visited by a lot of tourists. In 1944 a group of Cusco intellects decided to revive the Inca festival of the June Winter solstice, reconstructing it from descriptions in the chronicles of the Spanish Conquest. They staged it at the massive ruins of Sacsayhuaman, above the city, and where it has been held every year barring the earthquake year of 1950.
Hundreds of locals play the parts of Inca priests, nobles, virgins of the sun and soldiers. The main role of the Inca Pachacuteq is awarded following lengthy auditions. Inka Pachacuteq was the Inka ruler who greatly expended the empire.
The event start at about 10am at the Koricancha, or Temple of the Sun, and winds its way up Avenida del Sol to the Plaza de Armas, before climbing the back streets to arrive at the ruins of Sacsayhauman at about 2pm. Thousands of people are gathered to watch the arrival of the Inca and his Coyas (queens). Men sweep the ground before him, and women scatter flowers. The Inca takes centre stage and talks to the Sun, the principle object on Inca worship and from whom the Incas claimed direct descendency. He talks in Quechua, the old Inka language, still practiced by a lot of people on the countryside. He then receives reports from the governors of the four Suyus (regions) of the Inca empire. The Inca re-lights the sacred fire of the empire, drinks chicha, a fermented drink from maiz or other cereals) and sacrifices a llama by pulling out its beating heart and holding it up in reverence to the Sun. (all faked but very realistic). The success of the coming years activities, such as harvests or battles, are then read in the rests of the llama.
Finally the ritual eating of Sankhu (corn paste mixed with the llamas blood) ends the ceremonies. The Inca makes a last address to his people and then departs. Music and dancing continue throughout the evening.
Tickets for the stands can be brought 1 week in advance from the Municipalidad. Standing places are free but get there early (10.00) to defend your space.
The Virgen del Carmen is celebrated in various parts of usco. however in Paucartambo the festival is the biggest. Paucartambo is a picturesque but quiet place situated in a valley about 100 km from Cusco. It is best known for its yearly festival of the Virgen del Carmen, the local patron pof the village, a very colourful local fiesta with the best traditional dances, and varied and exotic masks and costumes.
The dancers represent semi-mythical characters, some of them derived from Peruvian history, such as the Auca Chilenos - representing the Chilean soldiers who occupied Peru in the 19th century - or the Capac Negros - slaves. Other characters include malaria victims, ugly gringos, Ukukus (half man half bear), condor-men and warlike jungle Indians.
The centre of all this festivity is the figure of the Virgin of Carmen, who is honoured with songs, dances and masses inside the church, and paraded around the town for 3 days. Her final act of divinity is to drive away the demons - represented by the Saqra dancers - who perform daring acrobats on the rooftops of the town, dressed in Inca colours and costumes. Once the procession is over, a symbolic battle is staged amongst the devote dancers and the demons with the traditional victory of the faithful.
One of the traditional activities of the Paucartambo festival is a pre-dawn visit to the heights of Tres Cruces, some 3 hours by car from the town. At this unique spot one can look down from the final peaks of the Andes onto the vast expanse of the Amazon basin. The view is unforgettable. The Incas held this place sacred for the optical effects that appear during sunrise at certain times of the year (notably May, June & July). Owing to atmospheric distortion observers can sometimes see multiple suns, or a brilliant rosy glow covering land and sky.
Warachicuy is like the Inti Raymi festival staged at Sacsayhuaman. The main objective of this reenacted Inka celebration is the transfirmation of the young to "Sons of the Sun”.
To become Sons of the Sun these young adults about 17 years old need to compete or comply as series of test, such as endurence, collective combat and strength. The sons of the Inka were tested extra hard, to become good governors and administrators of the Inka Empire.
Halloween is a festival that is celebrated with a bigger audience every year in cusco. People mainly go to the main square to show off their costumes, not necesarry scary... A lot of kids will ask you "truco o trato", trick or treat. If they knock on your door it is best to accept the treaty (giving them some sweets), because if you don't they could throw eggs at your door.
The word Halloween ios derived from the English expretion All Hallow's Eve (Eve before All saints day) when the dead visit Earth. The San Blas Spanish school celebtrates this day with a party, normally in 1 of the discos at the main square.
The same day is know in Peru as Dia de la Cancion Criolla, "day of the traditional song". This day is celebrated by parents dressing up their children in traditional clothest of different areas of Peru, representing different criole songs.
Nov 1st Dead People's Day is celebrated. Peruvian people tend to attend Mass this day and then head to the cemetery, bringing flowers and food to share symbolically with the souls of the dead. The worship of the dead was a common and respected custom during pre-Hispanic times in Peru, and part of that tradition, combined with Christian elements, still lives on today.
Nov 2nd Alive People´s Day is celebrated. People go out and eat Baked Pig (Lechon). During this day, groups of friends organize traditional baptizes of dolls made of bread (Wawa T´anta or Pan Wawa) with comic characters, reenacting the birth of the Pan Wawa with a priest, the couple and godfather & godmother.
Christmas time brings the magic of a beautiful fair on the main square or Plaza de Armas called Santurantikuy. Many people from the mountains come to sell images of the baby Jesus, Virgin Mary, Joseph and the three kings (all made by them), they also sell images of sheppers animals, etc. The last few years the number of sellers and the variety of products have increased (clothes, ceramics, souvenirs etc).
