PERU FOLKLORE

Peru (CALENDAR OF EVENTS)   January   Entrega de Varas, Cusco. Community elders (yayas) designate the highest authorities of their villages in this pre-Columbian festival, which is celebrated with chicha (fermented maize beer) and llonque (sugar-cane alcohol); the mayor accepts the scepter symbolizing his power. This custom has been glossed over with Occidental formalities. January 1.   Fiesta de la Santa Tierra, Lake Titicaca. The main festival on Isla Amantan sees the population split in two -- half at the Temple of Pachamama and the other half at the Temple of Pachatata, symbolizing the islanders' ancient dualistic belief system. Third Thursday in January.   Marinera Dance Festival, Trujillo. One of the stateliest dances in Peru, the flirtatious marinera involves a couple, each partner with a handkerchief in his or her right hand. The man wears a wide-brimmed hat and poncho, and the woman wears a lace Moche dress. For 10 days, the festival, which draws couples from all over the country, is held in the Gran Chim soccer stadium. There are also float processions throughout the city and dancing in the Plaza de Armas. January 20 to 30.   February   Virgen de la Candelaria (Candlemas), Puno. Puno lives up to its billing as Folk Capital of the Americas with this festival, which gathers more than 200 groups of musician and dance troupes. On the festival's main day, February 2, the Virgen is led through the city in a colorful procession of priests and pagans carefully maintaining the hierarchy. Especially thrilling is the dance of the demons, or la diablada. Dancers in wild costumes and masks blow panpipes and make offerings to the earth goddess Pachamama. February 1 to 14.   Carnaval. Lively pre-Lenten festivities. (Look out for balloons filled with water -- or worse.) Cajamarca is reputed to have the best and wildest parties; Puno and Cusco are also good. The weekend before Ash Wednesday.   March   Festival Internacional de la Vendimia (Wine Festival), Ica. A celebration of the grape harvest and the region's wine and pisco brandy, with fairs, beauty contests, floats, and musical festivals, including Afro-Peruvian dance. Second week of March.   Las Cruces de Porcn, Porcn. Near Cajamarca, a dawn procession of massive decorated wooden crosses through the valley of Porcn re-creates the entry of Christ into Jerusalem. The main day of the festival, Palm Sunday, presents four separate ceremonies. Ultimately, the crosses are decorated with mirrors (symbolizing the souls of the dead), and locals hang metal bells to announce the arrival of the crosses to the community. Mid-March to first week of April.   Semana Santa. Handsome and spectacularly reverent processions mark Easter Week. The finest are in Cusco and Ayacucho. Late March/early April.   Lord of the Earthquakes, Cusco. Representing a 17th-century painting of Christ on the cross that is said to have saved the city from a devastating earthquake, the image of the Lord of Earthquakes (El Seor de los Temblores) is carried through the streets of Cusco in a reverential procession, much like the Incas once paraded the mummies of their chieftains and high priests. Easter Monday, late March/early April.   April   Peruvian Paso Horse Festival, Pachacmac. The Peruvian Paso horse, one of the world's most beautiful breeds, is celebrated with the most important annual national competition at the Mamacona stables near Pachacmac, 30km (19 miles) south of Lima. April 15 to 20.   May   Fiesta de la Cruz. The Festival of the Cross features folk music and dance, including "scissors dancers," and processions in which communities decorate crosses and prepare them for the procession to neighboring churches. The danzantes de tijeras (scissors dancers) re-create old times, when they performed on top of church bell towers. Today the objective is still to outdo one another with daring feats. Celebrations are especially lively in Lima, Cusco, and Ica. May 2 and 3.   Qoyllur Rit'i, Quispicanchis, near Cusco. A massive indigenous pilgrimage marks this ritual, which is tied to the fertility of the land and the worship of Apus, the spirits of the mountains. It forms part of the greatest festival of native Indian nations in the hemisphere: Qoyllur Rit'i. The main ceremony is held at the foot of Mount Ausangate, with 10,000 pilgrims climbing to the snowline along with dancers in full costume representing mythical characters. Others head to the summit, in search of the Snow Star, and take huge blocks of ice back down on their backs -- holy water for irrigation purposes. First week in May.   Fiesta de Mayo, Huaraz. Also known as El Seor de la Soledad, the festival is celebrated with traditional dances, ski races, and a lantern procession. May 2 to 10.   June   Corpus Christi, Cusco. A procession of saints and virgins arrives at the Catedral to "greet" the body of Christ. Members of nearby churches also take their patron saints in a procession. An overnight vigil is followed by a new procession around the Plaza de Armas, with images of five virgins clad in embroidered tunics and the images of four saints: Sebastian, Blas, Joseph, and the Apostle Santiago (St. James). Early June.   Semana del Andinismo, Huaraz and Callejn de Huaylas. For outdoors fanatics, this celebration of outdoor adventure includes opportunities to partake in trekking, skiing, mountain biking, rafting, rock climbing, and hang gliding -- and plenty of parties to accompany them. Mid- to late June.   Inti Raymi, Cusco. The Inca Festival of the Sun -- the mother of all pre-Columbian festivals -- celebrates the winter solstice and honors the sun god with traditional pageantry, parades, and dances. One of the most vibrant and exciting of all Andean festivals, it draws thousands of visitors who fill Cusco's hotels. The principal event takes place at the Sacsayhuamn ruins and includes the sacrifice of a pair of llamas. General celebrations last several days. June 24.   San Juan, Cusco and Iquitos. The feast day of St. John the Baptist, a symbol of fertility and sensuality, is the most important date on the festival calendar in the entire Peruvian jungle. John the Baptist has taken on a major symbolic significance because of the importance of water as a vital element in the entire Amazon region. Events include fiestas with lots of music and regional cuisine. In Iquitos, don't miss the aphrodisiac potions with suggestive names. June 24 in Cusco, June 25 in Iquitos.   San Pedro/San Pablo, near fishing villages in Lima and Chiclayo. The patron saints of fishermen and farmers, Saint Peter and Saint Paul, are honored; figures of the saints are carried with incense, prayers, and hymns down to the sea and are taken by launch around the bay to bless the waters. June 29.   Virgen del Carmen, Paucartambo. In a remote highland village 4 hours from Cusco, thousands come to honor the Virgen del Carmen, or Mamacha Carmen, patron saint of the mestizo population, with 4 days of splendidly festive music and dance, as well as some of the wildest costumes in Peru. Dancers even perform daring moves on rooftops. The festival ends in the cemetery in a show of respect for the souls of the dead. Pisac also celebrates the Virgen del Carmen festival, almost as colorfully. June 15 to 18.   July   Fiesta de Santiago, Isla Taquile. A festive and very traditional pageant of color, with exuberant dances and women in layered, multicolored skirts. July 25 and August 1 and 2.   Fiestas Patrias. A series of parties with patriotic fervor mark Peru's independence from Spain in 1821. Official parades and functions are augmented by cockfighting, bullfighting, and Peruvian Paso horse exhibitions in other towns. The best celebrations are in Cusco, Puno, Isla Taquile, and Lima. July 28 and 29.   August   Santa Rosa de Lima, Lima. Major devotional processions honor the patron saint of Lima. August 30.   September   International Spring Festival, Trujillo. Trujillo celebrates the festival of spring with marinera dance, decorated streets and houses, floats, and schoolchildren dancing in the streets -- led, of course, by the pageant beauty queen. Last week in September.   October   El Seor de los Milagros, Lima. The Lord of Miracles is the largest procession in South America, and it dates from colonial times. Lasting nearly 24 hours and involving tens of thousands of purple-clad participants, it celebrates a Christ image (painted by an Angolan slave) that survived the 1746 earthquake and has since become the most venerated image in the capital. October 18.   November   Todos Santos and Da de los Muertos. Peruvians salute the dead by visiting cemeteries with flowers and food. Families hold candlelight vigils in the cemetery until dawn. The holiday is most vibrantly celebrated in the highlands. November 1 and 2.   Puno Week, Puno. A major procession from the shores of the lake to the town stadium celebrates Manco Cpac, who, according to legend, rose from the waters of Lake Titicaca to establish the Inca Empire. Dances and music take over Puno, with events often taking a turn for the inebriated. First week of November.   December   Santuranticuy Fair, Cusco. One of the largest arts-and-crafts fairs in Peru -- literally, "saints for sale" -- is held in the Plaza de Armas. Artisans lay out blankets around the square, as in traditional Andean markets, and sell figurines and Nativity scenes as well as ceramics, carvings, pottery, and retablos (altars). Vendors sell hot rum punch called ponche. December 24

This list is by no means exhaustive and doesn't include some important saint's days or corpuses. Some dates may not be correct - many are determined depending on when Easter falls. We have more extensive information about many of these events, and would be delighted to email it to you.   MORE.......cultural events calendar   december   Christmas season- Chocolatadas - in the true spirit of Christmas, Cusquenos give to the poor and needy. See Cultural Extensions for more information.   24 December - Santikuraray "the selling of the saints" held every Christmas Eve From 24 December to January 6 - Nacimientos /Nativity Scenes. Seen in all the churches of Cusco and most homes as well. (see Christmas explanation)   December 31 - New Years Eve - many discoteks and bars have special nights but the place where it all happens is in the Plaza de Armas of Cusco. About 11.30pm locals begin to gather in order to run around the Plaza as the clock strikes 12!   january   January 6 - Bajada de los Reyes (Epiphany) - celebrated most colourfully in Ollantaytambo. The Visit of the Wise Men This religious festivity coincides with the taking of power of the Varayoc whose authority is given to his successor with a silver-tipped staff as a symbol. There is a procession in which two images, The Christ Child and San Isidro the farmer are walked around the city. A bullfight takes place in the afternoon.   20 January - Chiaraje -This is a festival of ritual battles that are supposed to give life to Pachamama, Mother Earth, and for the people receive her favors during the harvest.   festival of san sebastian   february   February 1 - 14 February 2 (approx) Virgen de la Candelaria in Puno. Very colourful celebration of dancers. One of the most famous events in Peru. FiestaThis is one of the most important religious celebrations to honor the Virgin of the Candelaria. The Central day is on February the 2nd. Approximately 50 musical groups from all over Puno perform wearing very attractive costumes. It is a beautiful combination of colors, beauty and high spirit.   Festival Carnavalesco - Carnival. Carnaval is most famous in Rio de Janeiro but its also big in Cusco and the Sacred Valley. All through the month of February, the Pukllay or Game can be seen in the city. The carnival begins with the "Day of Compadres" in which people display their joy with flowers, paint, and water. As locals get into the spirit of things… expect to get wet!   march/april   Monday before Easter - Lord of the Tremors/Earthquakes (Senor de los Temblores). Tradition says that this depiction of Christ carried around the Plaza de Armas of Cusco during an Earthquake saved the city. The Plaza is packed full of people every year on this special day.   Easter Week (Semana Santa - Holy Week) is celebrated all over the world. In Peru, the celebrations are most famous in the provincial city of Ayacucho, about 2 days travel (by bus) from Cusco.   In Cusco, the Holy Week is one of the examples of the Spanish heritage. On Monday, the biggest religious procession takes place in Cusco. "El Seor de los Temblores" is walked around the main streets of Cusco followed by thousands of people. During the rest of the week, Death and Resurrection are remembered through processions, the preparation of the Twelve Dishes and fasting.   Holy Week is incredibly beautiful in Ayacucho and celebrated with great pomp and the religiosity of the people can be felt in the air. During the week there are many processions and people participate with a lot of devotion.   may   May 2 - 3 Cruz Velacuy/ Velakuy - Festival of the Crosses   This is a religious festivity also brought by the Spanish. Crosses are adorned with flowers and ribbons. People venerate the crosses during the night, they pray, and the crosses are carried to churches where they are blessed. Groups of musicians and dancers accompany the crosses.   june   First week of June - Festival of OllantayRaymi - the depiction of the Ollantay drama, dances and typical dishes in the town of Ollantaytambo.    Lord of Qoyllur Riti One week before Corpus Christi (approx). A pilgrimage to a site in the Ausangate region. Qoyllur Riti or Snow Star constitutes an important manifestation of religiosity in the Andes. The blending of Spanish and Indigenous elements is interesting: The Apus or mountain-gods and the crosses. Pilgrims walk for about 4 hours, they have to pass by 9 crosses and shrines. The Sanctuary is located in Sinakhara, at about 4600 m. The crowd takes a purification bath which is needed in order to enter a spiritual dimension where both the energy of deities and men join.   Corpus Christi - 15 June   Inti Raymi - 24 June   June 18 to 30 Feria Agropecaria Huancayo   A must for those with an interest in agriculture! Regional, national and international exhibitors present their products in this traditional fair. Musical groups from varied music styles perform open-air. There is also a Festival of the 13 Provinces of Cusco whose representatives prepare typical food, and play typical music.   july   Virgen del Carmen - 16 July   28 July- Fiestas Patrias (National holiday) Most towns have lots of parades and bands.   28 & 29 July - Yawar Fiesta A ritual bullfight, during the "Fiestas Patrias" in the town of Cotabambas, in the Apurimac department. (Contact us to visit this interesting festival).   august   Andean New Year - 1st August   september   Senor de Huanca (Lord of Huanca) - 14 September A pilgrimage overnight from Cusco to the shrine of Lord of Huanca. Very interesting opportunity to see a combination of catholicism and local traditions   Warachikuy- 19 September   october   the purple month - Lord of the Miracles. Those that follow Senor de los Milagros wear purple. The depiction of Christ is carried through the streets. Celebrated more fervently in Lima than in Cusco. (Also very popular in Santa Cruz, Bolivia).   Seor de Luren Festival - Ica   Celebrated in Ica every third week of October. The origin of the devotion for the crucified Christ of Luren (Seor de Luren), patron of the city of Ica (300 km south of Lima), dates back to 1 570, when the image was mysteriously lost in the desert during a trip from Lima to Ica, before reappearing in a desolate outpost called Luren. Later, Nicols de Ribera the Elder, Lima's first mayor, had a small church built in this spot as well as a hospital for highland Indians. Today, the modern church, built in a Romanticist style, houses the carved wooden image of the dying Christ, as well as those of the Virgin Mary and Mary Magdalene.On the main day of the festival, Sunday, the image is borne aloft in a procession through the city from nightfall until dawn the following day.   november   1 November - All Saints Day (Dia de los Muertos). Celebrated by families by buying bread baked in the shapes of dolls and horses, and taking these to the cemetary. Pork is specially prepared on this day.

Senor de Colloritty is held in the irst week of June.     Above, and below. Inti Raymi is held annually at the spectacular fortress of Sacsayhuaman.       San Sebastian         virgen of almudena paraded through the streets of cusco