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When planning a trip to Peru, it is a must to try and plan it during one of the many festivals that take place throughout the year. Peru is known for its extravagant celebrations, and there are many. Every year there are some 3,000 Peruvian festivals going on, many of which pay homage to saints. There are seasonal festivals such as harvest celebrations. Festivals for religious holidays are among the top celebrations. Others include traditional celebrations that the natives have passed down from century to century. Take a look at a festival calendar to see if one of them coincides with your vacation date. It is worth considering, just for the mere pleasure of letting loose and having a festive time. Here are a few suggestions of some of the main events in different locations around the country.
Let’s start with Cusco. It is a very popular city to visit, and if you are planning a trip at the end of June you might want to make reservations at a Cusco hotel well enough in advance. Next to Carnival in Rio de Janeiro, Inti Raymi festival is the second largest South American festival around. It reenacts an Inca ceremony that was intended to pay homage to the Inca gods, primarily the sun god, Inti. It is told that Inti was birthed from Lake Titicaca and started the Inca Empire in Cusco. The Catholic Spanish put an end to this celebration for many years, but in 1944 it came alive once again, and every June 24 the festivities are held at the ruins of Sacsayhuaman. This is not just a one day event. There are concerts and celebrations leading up to and following June 24.
Also in Cusco, is the celebration of Corpus Christi. This festival takes place 60 days after Easter, which puts it into the time frame of late May to early June. A procession is held, with many church representatives bearing their patron saints in a Semana Santa parade that ends up at the main cathedral. On the eve of the celebration it is tradition to prepare 12 different dishes, including guinea pig, cornbread, beer and chichi (a fermented corn beverage).
In July, the town of Paucartambo, only four hours from Cusco, holds their own celebration which pays homage to the Virgin del Carmen. She is the patron saint of the Mestizo people. For five days this colorful and unusual festival has the natives dressed in scary costumes that represent the demons that the Virgin of Carmen eventually drives away. Other similar festivals that are very big are held during the week of Easter. Anywhere you go in Peru there will be the Semana Santa, or Holy Week celebration. The best cities for observing this special religious holiday include Ayacucho, Chiclayo, Arequipa and Huaraz.
In February, the Carnival celebrations in Peru are held throughout the country with quite a bit of playfulness. People come out from everywhere and start throwing water balloons and squirting water guns. No one is off limits to their aim, so be advised that you either join the fun or go back to your hotel room a miss out on a good time.
Cajamarca and Trijillo are notably the towns with the liveliest celebrations. The January National Marinera Dance contest is held every year in Trijillo. It features a beauty contest, a regal horse display and of course a dance contest. You can see upwards of 500 people joining in to dance their way to the winners circle, claiming the highly sought after colored handkerchief. Now that’s worth kicking up your heels for, don’t you think?
The most celebrated religious holidays are All Souls Day and Christmas. All Souls day falls on November 2, and follows All Saints Day on the 1st. A candlelight vigil is held at the local cemeteries and a jubilant celebration concludes the two day festivities. The village of La Arena, found in the northwest coastal department of Piura, is among the most colorful All Souls Day celebrations. Probably the most esteemed holiday is Christmas, where festivals are held everywhere. It is celebrated with a combination of Spanish and Indian traditions, with wonderfully decorated processions that precede a solemn Christmas Eve mass. In Lima, the residents look forward to celebrating with the biggest bull fight of the year. In Cusco, you will find the big hearts of the residents waiting in lines to buy hot chocolate for the needy children. That’s enough to warm your hearts on this very special day.
Choose wisely, and then enjoy the fanfare and festivities of the traditions that are so important to the people of this great country. You will be so glad that you included Peru Festivals in your itinerary. Have a blast, and don’t forget to pack some water balloons! Not sure water guns would make it through customs!
