Celebrations in Peru

Peru has a wide variety of festivities and celebrations. In all corners of the country, communities celebrate their Saints and their beliefs throughout the year. Among them, here are the most important (for more information, please contact us):

• La Virgen de la Candelaria (Thevirginofthe Candelaria)
• Easter
• Q'eswachaca Bridge
• Q'oyllurRiti
• Corpus Christi
• IntiRaymi
• The Virgin of Carmen
• The National Day (Independence Day)
• The Virgin of the Assumption
• The Lord of Huanca pilgrimage

February 02, 2012 : La Virgen de la Candelaria (Thevirgin of the Candelaria)
La Virgen de la Candelaria is the patron saint of the city of Puno, Peru and is associated with the Pachamama (Mother earth), the Titicaca Lake, mines and thunder, in addition to symbolize purity and fertility. In the virgin converges the hopes of the helpless and the tenacious faith of thebelievers. The celebration begins on January 24th and lasts eight days, during these days more than 200 dances are presented to honor the virgin, these days all people gather in a non-stop dancing for the Virgin, thanking well benefits and miracles that allow them to continue living. In this party like no other, the whole city is united in joy and in a sea of color, mysticism and dances, a silent witness of this festivity is the majestic Titicaca Lake.

From April 1-8, 2012 : Easter
It is the last week of Lent. The celebrations begin from Thursday through Sunday. This celebration brings great processions throughout the country, The most representative saints of very church gather in a big procession around the central part of the cities. The most impressive and famous are those of Ayacucho, Huarazand Cusco. These celebrations  combine ancient traditions and beliefs with new Catholic beliefs.

June 7-10, 2012 : Q'eswachaca bridge
Each year, the communities ofHuinchiri, Chaupibamba, PelcaroQuehueCcollanaget together to restore the last Incabridge. It is a fantastic ceremony following the style and traditions of the Incas, the villagers weave ropes of wild ichu (a type of grass that grows in the Andes) this way the bridge is totally restoredin a process that takes 4 days and once the bridge is done there will be a big celebration. This is a unique event in the year; it is an experience that youcan not forget.

June 4 and 5, 2012 : Q'oyllurRiti
This is one of the largest indigenous festivals in Latin America. "Q’oyllorRitti" is a Quechua word that means "Snow Star" it is an andean belief that has been modified by the Catholic religion, which was replaced by the TaytachaQoylluritti (Lord of the Snows). The site is located in the province of Quispicanchis, district of Ocongate which is at 2:30 in the city of Cusco where the main icon is the image of Christ, this celebration means the integration of man with nature. It is an act associated with the fertility of the land, animals and the adoration of theirApus (sacred mountains or tutelary gods). The main ceremony takes place at the foot of the Sinakaramountain, where big processions gather from across the region.

June 7 and 8, 2012: The Corpus Christi
This celebration will take place on June 7 in Cuzco (although the date changes significantly each year in accordance with the dates of Easter), it is said that this celebration originally was to honor the 14 original Inca rulers. The local people used to take in procession the mummies of the 14 rulers. But upon the arrival of the Spanish, they were shocked with this practice, so they decided to turn this tradition into a procession of 14 religious icons richly and finely dressed. Since those times, every year all the representative saints of every church around Cusco city gather to participate in the celebartions that take place in the cathedral.

June 24, 2012: The Inti Raymi
This celebration takes place on June 24, it is a reconstruction of the winter solstice celebration held during the Inca times. This celebration was made to worship the sun, offering sacrifices to ensure thatitn would return at the end of winter. Many dances and rituals coming from the Inca times are performed by hundreds of actors and actresses. The representation is done inSacsayhuaman, it gives to the celebration a mystical dimension and an invitation to a journey back in time.

July 16: The Virgin of El Carmen
This festival is the legacy left by the Spanish. In fact, every yearinmid July we celebrate the Virgin of El Carmen. In Cusco region there are celebrations and processions for 2 or 3 days. One of the most fastuous celebrations takes place inPaucartamboDistrict, it takes dances from the region and a large number of pilgrims from all over the world.

July 28 and 29 : Independence Day
July 28 there are parades with participation of the military, school students, and some institutions.

August 15 : TheAsunta Virgin celebration
As in all Catholic countries, the Ascension is a great celebration full of dances and processions.

September 14: The Pilgrimage of the Lord of Huanca
This pilgrimage is an annual event that takes place sin September it offers a wide variety of activities such as processions and dances. The Lord of Huanca has become the icon of all catholic people in the region.