Calendar Of Festivities Of Cusco
Discover a list of fantastic festivals in Cusco. So much of Peru is based on a agrarian culture, insuring good Harvests and fertility of their herds is of paramount importance. Visit: https://www.alpacaexpeditions.com/
Discover a list of fantastic festivals in Cusco. So much of Peru is based on a agrarian culture, insuring good Harvests and fertility of their herds is of paramount importance. Visit: https://www.alpacaexpeditions.com/
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<strong>Cusco</strong>, Peru<br />
introducing<br />
<strong>Calendar</strong> of <strong>Festivities</strong> in<br />
<strong>Cusco</strong>
<strong>Calendar</strong> of <strong>Festivities</strong> in <strong>Cusco</strong>
<strong>Calendar</strong> of <strong>Festivities</strong> in <strong>Cusco</strong><br />
By Lisa McClendon Sims<br />
One thing that Peruvians are really good at is celebrating! There are a dizzying number of<br />
festivities which combine the rituals of the predominantly Catholic population with colorful<br />
indigenous earth-based festivals, frequently interwoven throughout the symbology and<br />
celebrations and offer an absolute sensory symphony. Peruvians have roots which deeply<br />
connect them with their “Pachamama” (Mother Earth). So much of Peru is based on an<br />
agrarian culture, insuring good harvests and fertility of their herds is of paramount<br />
importance. The majority of the celebrations are joyous in nature and strengthen social<br />
bonds and hope for the future.<br />
Aside from “Saint’s Days” which happen daily all over Peru, announced by the blasting of<br />
firecrackers in the early hours of the morning and frequently by parading a statue of the<br />
Patron Saint of the Day through the streets often followed by a brass band, there are many<br />
other festivals and holidays to navigate. It is estimated that there are as many as 3,000 folk<br />
festivals throughout the year in various parts of Peru, hundreds of which are celebrated in<br />
<strong>Cusco</strong>. So many opportunities to feast and dance!<br />
Here are a few of the more popular ones based in <strong>Cusco</strong>:
<strong>Calendar</strong> of <strong>Festivities</strong> in <strong>Cusco</strong><br />
CARNIVAL – Variable days in February – starts 40 days before Easter Sunday<br />
One of the largest festivals in South America, made famous by the parades in Rio, Carnival is<br />
celebrated a bit differently in Peru. The biggest show is in Puno (an 8-hour bus ride south of <strong>Cusco</strong>)<br />
with dazzling costume competitions and parades honoring The Virgin of Candelaria, where they<br />
play music and dance in the streets until they quite literally drop! In <strong>Cusco</strong>, Carnival is celebrated<br />
more with water. If you are in the plazas, expect to get drenched with water blasters and balloons,<br />
and sprayed with silly string and foam. No one is immune, but if you are armed with any of the<br />
afore-mentioned items, you are considered fair game! Join in the fun – and bring a change of<br />
clothes!<br />
SEMANA SANTA (Holy Week/Easter Week) all of Peru but most notably in <strong>Cusco</strong> and Ayacucho<br />
This is the week before Easter, and in <strong>Cusco</strong> starts on Monday with “Señor de los Temblores” or<br />
Lord of the Earthquakes – also known in <strong>Cusco</strong> as The Black Christ. In 1650 there was a terrible<br />
earthquake in <strong>Cusco</strong> with much damage and many aftershocks. Particularly interesting is this<br />
holiday’s fusion of Catholic and Inca beliefs. The Black Christ is housed inside of the <strong>Cusco</strong><br />
Cathedral, built upon the ancient Inca foundations of the Wiracocha Temple (Wiracocha is the Inca<br />
Creator God). In 1650 the Black Christ statue was carried in procession through the streets, just as<br />
the Incas used to parade the mummies of their Incas and high priests before the Spanish outlawed<br />
this custom, and miraculously the earthquakes stopped. So many candles were burnt beneath the<br />
statue in gratitude that it is now permanently blackened. Today The Lord of the Earthquakes is still<br />
paraded through the streets while the onlookers throw bright red ñucchu flowers (salvia<br />
esplendes), as they did in ancient times as an offering to their Pre-Colombian god, Wiracocha, now<br />
symbolizing the blood of Christ. The Main Plaza in <strong>Cusco</strong> is jam-packed with people during Monday<br />
evening with barely room to move! Peruvians love to celebrate!
<strong>Calendar</strong> of <strong>Festivities</strong> in <strong>Cusco</strong><br />
GOOD FRIDAY<br />
In many cultures has traditional fasting as a ritual. In their truly festive style, the Peruvian<br />
people FEAST instead of fast! Good Friday is actually the most celebrated day in Semana<br />
Santa, much moreso than Easter Sunday. Most businesses are closed and the Peruvians are<br />
all at home with their families feasting upon their Doce Platos – 12 special traditional dishes<br />
(excluding red meats) representing the Twelve Apostles!<br />
Q’OYLLURIT’I – The Snow Star Festival – coincides with the full moon at the end of<br />
May/beginning of June<br />
The ancient Inca used the Southern Cross constellation, visible in the Southern Hemisphere,<br />
as a guide as to when to sow and reap their crops. In April, this constellation disappears<br />
under the horizon, and to the Inca this symbolized a time of chaos. With the full moon in<br />
May/June, the Southern Cross constellation reappears on the horizon and the Q’oyllurit’i<br />
festival was originally in honor of this, bringing order again to their world. However, in 1780 a<br />
miraculous image of Christ appeared on a huge rock in the Sinakara Valley (15-16,000 feet<br />
above sea level) where the festival is held. The rock has since been embellished and had a<br />
church built around it. Christ is now considered by many to be the “Lord of Q’oyllurit’i”, and<br />
this celebration is considered to be the largest pilgrimage of indigenous nations in the<br />
Americas, with tens of thousands of people (many estimate 70,000) making the pilgrimage<br />
during the 4 days that it takes place 8 kilometers outside of the town of Mawayani, at the<br />
foot of Ausangate Mountain (21,000 feet elevation). There is a fascinating ritual held by<br />
“ukukus” – the Quechua word for “bear”.
<strong>Calendar</strong> of <strong>Festivities</strong> in <strong>Cusco</strong><br />
He is a mythological creature deemed to be fathered by a bear and mothered by a human.<br />
The people who want to become Ukukus must climb the High Andes mountain to the glacier<br />
and survive the night to earn the right to be an Ukuku. They then wear special costumes and<br />
masks and are the policing body of this festival, using whips to call into line anyone who is<br />
seen to be acting in a disrespectful manner. Historically they cut blocks of ice from the glacier<br />
to bring back to <strong>Cusco</strong>, which when melted was used as holy water. There are virtually no<br />
facilities in this valley, so it is a camping event. There is non-stop dancing, music and<br />
firecrackers for the 4 days that this takes place – bring earplugs if you intend to sleep!<br />
CORPUS CHRISTI – Body of Christ – 60 days after Easter Sunday<br />
This festival has been celebrated all over Peru since Colonial times, but reaches its peak in<br />
<strong>Cusco</strong>. It takes place 60 days after Easter Sunday. The ornately dressed statues of 15 saints<br />
and virgins are all brought from their respective churches in <strong>Cusco</strong> and paraded around the<br />
Main Plaza. They enter the Cathedral one by one to spend the night in the Cathedral to greet<br />
the Body of Christ, embodied in the Sacred Host which is housed in an enormous gold goblet.<br />
The processions and the excitement and fervor of the citizens are an amazing show.
<strong>Calendar</strong> of <strong>Festivities</strong> in <strong>Cusco</strong><br />
INTI RAYMI – The Celebration of the Winter Solstice – June 24 th<br />
Inti Raymi is the second largest festival in South America (after Carnival in Rio de Janeiro,<br />
Brazil). It is the celebration of the winter days starting to become longer – the solar new year.<br />
In <strong>Cusco</strong> the celebrations begin on June 1 st (no kidding – they celebrate ALL MONTH) with<br />
various dances in the plazas, art festivals and an endless list of performances and events. This<br />
is considered to be the most important expression of folklore in <strong>Cusco</strong>. The Spanish outlawed<br />
this celebration due to its “pagan” identifications and it was lost for 100s of years. In 1944 a<br />
group of scholars and artists in <strong>Cusco</strong> got together and it was decided to reintroduce it based<br />
on the historical record. The peak of this weeks-long festival starts at 8AM on June 24 th at<br />
the Q’oricancha, The Temple of the Sun (now a Dominican church – Iglesia de Santo<br />
Domingo).<br />
Hundreds and hundreds of people have roles in this theatrical performance on the green<br />
front lawn of what was the Temple of the Sun, which was sheathed in gold when the Spanish<br />
arrived into <strong>Cusco</strong> in 1532. They are all making various offerings of chichi (corn beer),<br />
potatoes, corn and flowers. Everyone in the Four Quarters of the Inca Empire, known as the<br />
Tawantinsuyo, is represented – from the Inca military to the jungle dancers. They make their<br />
way up Avenida El Sol around noon with a spectacular entry into the Main Plaza of <strong>Cusco</strong>.<br />
Actors representing the Inca (King) and Qoya (Queen) are carried on litters above the crowd<br />
who throw flower petals as they pass by in procession around the Plaza. The entire<br />
procession then ascends the steep mountain streets to Saqsaywaman, the famous Incan ruin<br />
overlooking <strong>Cusco</strong> for the final chapter of this most spectacular affair.
<strong>Calendar</strong> of <strong>Festivities</strong> in <strong>Cusco</strong><br />
PACHAMAMA RAYMI / MOTHER EARTH DAY – August 1 st<br />
This is an Andean ritual which pays tribute to Mother Earth in honor of all she gives us. A key<br />
concept in the Andean culture is that of “ayni” or sacred reciprocity. This is a day set aside to<br />
symbolically give something back to Mother Earth. A beautiful mandala is created using many<br />
items from nature – seeds, coca leaves, dried fruits, flowers, rice, incenses, sweets and many<br />
other items. It is infused with the love that the people of Peru have, who are so closely<br />
connected to their Pachamama and it is offered to the spirits of the Andes Mountains and<br />
Mother Earth. This also marks the beginning of the Andean New Year. During the first 12 days<br />
of August is a period called “Las Cabañuelas”, brought over by the Spanish, where the<br />
weather is watched closely and a prediction is made for the weather for the upcoming year,<br />
to help the agricultural communities decide when to plant.
<strong>Calendar</strong> of <strong>Festivities</strong> in <strong>Cusco</strong><br />
SANTURANTICUY – December 24 th<br />
This festival dates back to the Spanish Colonial period and is one of the largest handicrafts<br />
fairs in Peru. It takes place in the Main Plaza in <strong>Cusco</strong> and offers various religious images<br />
which are all handcrafted by local artisans, many things that are never seen anywhere else,<br />
or at any other time of the year. It is the custom of many Cusqueñans (people from <strong>Cusco</strong>) to<br />
have a nativity scene in their home during Christmas. December 24 th , known as Noche<br />
Buena, is the big day in Peru, moreso than Christmas Day itself. On the 24 th at midnight, a<br />
small figurine of Jesus is placed in the manger, and everyone goes to bed happy that Jesus<br />
has arrived! During Santuranticuy the campesinos, or country folk, come in from all over the<br />
region, selling various native plants, mosses and flowers to decorate the manger scenes. They<br />
have no place to stay in town, so they camp out in the Main Plaza and it is the custom of the<br />
city folk to bring them hot chocolate and snacks to tide them through the night, and you’ll<br />
see them standing in long lines waiting for a cocoa!<br />
NEW YEARS EVE – Dec 31 st<br />
In the Main Plaza of <strong>Cusco</strong> New Year’s Eve is celebrated with festivities and bands playing!<br />
One thing that tourists notice with some amusement is that there is yellow underwear being<br />
sold on every street corner. The yellow represents gold and prosperity and you will even see<br />
people wearing their yellow underwear on top of their clothes to pronounce to the world<br />
that they are calling in abundance! There is absolutely no doubt when midnight hits as<br />
fireworks fill the sky! Everyone turns up in the Main Plaza with their own fireworks and they<br />
are going off in every direction! If you are lucky enough to be above the city on one of the<br />
mountainsides, looking down – it is a sight to behold! If you are in the Plaza itself – do be<br />
careful, as there doesn’t appear to be any supervision whatsoever! The bars and discos are<br />
open all night and you can party and dance until dawn!
CONTACT US<br />
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Calle Heladeros 157, <strong>Of</strong>fice 24 - 25 2nd floor<br />
<strong>Cusco</strong>, Peru<br />
+51 84 254278<br />
Monday through Saturday: 8:30AM - 1PM, 3PM - 7:30PM<br />
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