Festival of the Virgin of the Candelaria February 2-14
Andean faith in the folkloric capital of the Americas: Puno, considered to be the folk art capital of the Americas, is perched on the banks of Lake Titicaca at an altitude of 3,870 meters above sea level. The festival during 18 days draws thousands of faithful and dancers days who visit the church of San Juan to venerate the Virgin of the Candelaria or Mamita Candelaria, as the locals call the image. The cult is believed to date back to the vital pre- Hispanic ritual of Mama Pacha, the earth goddess. The Catholic origins of this example of Andean faith date back to the sixteenth century.
Today, the festival starts nine days beforehand, when a sponsor called a mayordomo decorates the church and pays for three Mass ceremonies, banquets and fireworks, Then on the main day, on February 2, the virgin is carried out of the church to parade through the streets against an unimaginable backdrop of manifestations of folk art.
During the following two days, hundreds of eagerly-awaited dance and musical troupes parade through town. The participants, who like the dancers of the Diablada (devilry) choreographies, one of the most typical dances of the area, wear masks and complex, shining costumes sewn with fine stones, pearls, gold and silver thread, bound around and dance to the strains of the sikuris bands to delight their patron saint.
March-April (varies)
2. Lord of the Earthquakes, Cusco
The Somber Christ crucified: Since 1650, when, according to the faithful, an oil painting of Christ Crucified miraculously held off a powerful earthquake that rattled the ancient Inca capital of Cusco, the locals have rendered homage to the image of Taitacha Temblores, the Lord of the Earthquakes. On Holy Monday, the main day of the festival, a sprawling carpet of flower petals in a variety of designs and colors spreads out across the main streets of the town to receive the carved wooden image that is said to have been donated by Emperor Charles V when he learned of the miracie.This Christ, who looks rather somber, is worshipped by countless high- land Indians who dedicate Him their prayers and mournful dirges sung in the Quechua lan- guage. During the preparations, helpers per- fume and arrange the image's hair, change its crown of thorns and swaddling for others made from gold, silver, precious stones and bright scarlet ñukchu flowers that resemble the drops of blood that redeemed the faithful.
March-April (varies)
3. The Crosses of Porcon, Cajamarca.
The Crosses themselves: On Palm Sunday, in Porcon, a half-hour drive from Cajamarca (800 km North of Lima), the olive branch-wielding locals celebrate the entry into the town of Christ mounted on a donkey. What makes the festival appealing is its colorful, shining two meter-high crosses. Each wooden cross, festooned with flowers and rosemary is carved with religious motifs and mirrors that symbolize the souls of the devout, as well as metal bells that herald the cross' arrival in the community borne aloft by its bearers. The night before, after having been transported from different communities, the crosses are accompanied in locales that have especially decorated by the patrons of the festival, where the attendants eat and drink to get up their strength for the main day of the festival. The villagers, most of them peasants, make offerings and pray in Quechua, while the bands of musicians blow their horns, including a peculiar three meter-long horn crafted from a piece of piping which is fitted with a wooden mouthpiece and tapers off into a dried gourd bellmouth.
March-April (varies)
4. Easter Week, Ayacucho
The agony and the festival of the Resurrection: Ayacucho, which boasts more than 30 churches, is the most heavily-visited spot in Peru during Easter Week- On the morning of Palm Sunday, Jesus enters the city mounted on a donkey, surrounded by the devotees who bear palm fronds and olive branches. On Ash Wednesday, the images of the Virgin and Saint John are taken out of the Cathedral to take part in a procession that eventually leads them to a moving encounter with the Nazarene in the main square. On Good Friday, the Lord of the Holy Sepulchrum silently wends His way through the streets accompanied by crowds of the faithful who are dressed strictly in mourning and carry large wax candies. Throughout the night of Saturday of Glory the entire population crowds into the main square to await dawn, when they will receive by the light of bonfires, the imposing Christ who has risen. The image emerges slowly from the Cathedral to sway round the main square on his spectacular pyramid-shaped litter wrought from pure silver, which is celebrated with fireworks and the pealing of church bells.
May 1
5. Virgin of Chapi, Arequipa
Paganism and atonement : While thousands of devout followers drive up from the city of Arequipa and from other parts of the country, many make the pilgrimage on foot, in the way of penitence, carrying stones which they will lay down near the sanctuary of the Virgin of Chapi in a huge pile, a pagan tradition that dates from pre-inca times. These stones symbolize the sins that are to be atoned or the desires that the believers wish to see come true by begging the miraculous image, which has been worshipped since colonial times. Once inside the Chapi sanctuary the pilgrims renew their vows, lighting candies before later breaking into song and dance to accompany the image as it is carried from the church decorated in all its finery, embroidered with silver threads. The faithful who cannot attend these celebrations in general attend Mass in the picturesque church of Cayma in the city of Arequipa itself.
May 15
6. San Isidro Labrador, Cajamarca
The Harvest Festival: In icochan, a district in the province of San Marcos in Cajamarca, the locals worship their patron saint San Isidro Labrador, picking out typical flowers from the region and products of their harvest such as corn, potatoes and oca tubers. These are used to decorate the saint's litter and the altars located at the entry to the homes where the procession is to pass by. At the same time, the people also decorate the yoke of the oxen, the main work tools in the region. Prior to the procession, the people exchange their agricultural produce, whishing each other prosperity and well-being all yearlong. Residents set off fireworks, while marching bands play cheerful tunes to celebrate the appearance of the saint from the depths of the church, carried shoulder-high by the faithful. The procession also features the prayermen, heirs of a time-honored tradition of recitors of chants and prayers and religious services in the most remote communities.
May 3
7. Lord of Muruhuay, Junin
Christ portrayed on the rock: In Muruhuay, 12 km from Tarma, Junin, the locals worship the image of Christ crucified painted on a boulder on the outskirts of town. The crowds of believers, organized into sponsors of the festival, make the pilgrimage to the sanctuary to hear Mass in Quechua, deliver their “letters to God” and take part in the main day of the festival, May 3. In the run-up, the pilgrims hold prayers and let off fireworks. The festival sponsors and their lieutenants are also in charge of organizing a banquet the same day, for which the women cook up Andean delicacies like Uman Caldo (sheepshead soup) and Papa a la Huancaína (boiled potato drenched in a sauce whipped up out of aji chili pepper, milk and eggs. The celebration has kept alive two concepts held sacred to pre-Hispanic Andean cultures: the stone and water, which are believed to grant favors to the faithful.
May 3
8. Festival of the Crosses, Ayacucho
Catholic crosses Andean spirits: The inhabitants of the villages in the provinces of Huanta, Huamanga and Lucanas in the department of Ayacucho decorate the crosses in their communities so as to carry them to their local church to show their veneration and thanks, as the crosses are associated with the divine protection of the earth and the harvests. At the same time, the locals hold a folk ritual that is unique in the world, the scissors dance. The danzaq, or participants clutch their scissors and dress up especially for the dance, where they perform a series of extremely difficult choreographies to the strains of a violin. Many believe the dance is the personification of the wamanis, the Andean spirits. This dance. which has even been known to be performed on church belltowers, is the essence of the ongoing battle between the profane world and Catholicism. Together with the traditional pro- cessions of crosses and images, this is the main attraction of the festival.
varies
9. Lord of the Ascension of Cachuy, Lima
The persistence of a popular icon: In the Andean community of Cachuy in the province of Yauyos, which itself lies in the department of Lima, the locals worship a small 55 centimeter-high carved wooden image which was found by a shepherd nearby-. the lord of the Ascension. After the find, the ecclesiastical authorities moved it another village, but the image mysteriously preferred to return to Cachuy, where the faithful later built a church to house it. To get to this spot, pilgrims must follow the Cañete River down to Catahuasi, where visitors hike up to the village of Canchán and from there up to the Isahauy hill at 3,480 meters above sea level, where the statuette was found. The figure is carried out of the church at midday, surrounded by can- dies, guarded by four silver angels and wearing some of the costly costumes embroidered by the faithful. The followers include Tupe highland Indians dressed in their traditional garb and praying in their native language, jaqaru.
varies
10. Corpus Christi, Cusco
The procession of the saints: Sixty days after the Sunday of Resurrection, Cusco celebrates the Catholic festival of the Eucharist, the body of Christ. This rite. imposed during colonial times in a bid to stamp out the processions of Inca mummies, gathers together at Santa Clara church the images of the patron saints of the various local parish churches. On the main day, the images are borne aloft on silver litters through Huacaypata square. At night, against a backdrop of fireworks, the festival sponsors offer banquets featuring traditional dishes to the locals. During the next eight days, the images, which include the Virgin of Belen, San Sebastian and the Apostle Santiago, meet again, this time inside the Cathedral, before returning to their respective churches, accompanied by musicians, dancers and the faithful.
1st week May
11. Qoyllur Rit'i, Cusco
The greatest indigenous festival in the Americas: Thousands of pilgrims, mainly shepherds and traders from the south of Peru, flock to Ocongate, in Quispicanchis, Cusco to visit the sanctuary of Sinakara to worship the Lord of Qoyllur Rit’i, which is closely linked to the Snow Star, a pre-inca fertility rite. Qoyllur Rit'i is the largest indigenous festival involving Indian nations in the Americas, and is held on the slopes of the 6,363 meter-high Ausangate mountain, Tradition has it that Christ appeared before a child here after performing a series of miracles amongst the devout locals. At the church, the pilgrims worship a rock featuring the image of the Messiah, singing hymns in Quechua and performing traditional dances. On May 3, long lines of figures called Ucucos (which look rather like chained bears), climb up Ausangate to search for the Snow Star and hack out blocks of ice which they then carry on their shoulders down to the church and in some cases as far as their communities. It is a way of-bringing to life ancient rituals that symbolize the fusion of Andean and Christian traditions.
June 23-25
12. Festival of San Juan, Loreto
The Amazon purification: The city of Iquitos, the capital of Loreto, the largest department in Peru, lies on the banks of the Amazon River This is the home of the Festival of San Juan (Saint John), the patron saint of the Amazon jungle. In the belief that John the Baptist will ensure them well-being all year-long, the locals purify themselves in the rivers on the night of May 23.The following day, after the blessing given out at Mass, bands of musicians accompany the procession blowing lustily on wind instruments and banging drums. Then everyone gathers to dance and cut down with machetes the humish palm tree that is loaded with presents. All present feast on the juanes, the specialty of the festival cooked from chicken, rice, cooking fat and egg and washed down with chicha dejora (a fermented maize drink) or beer On May 25, the festival continues with what is called Little Saint John, where the cajadas compete, featuring dance troupes of women who perform choreographies around the saint's image.
July 15 and 16
13. The Virgin del Carmen, Cusco
Rereading history: The Virgin del Carmen, or Mamacha Carmen, patron of the mixed-blooded Peruvians, is worshipped by thousands of the faithful in the province of Paucartambo, four hours from Cusco. In the local main square, the various groups of dancers and musicians start the festival singing in Quechua and showing off their glittering, expensive costumes. Their dances represent entertaining and ingenious versions of Peruvian history. On July 1 6, the virgin is carried from the church in a procession to spread her blessings amongst the dancers and the faithful to ward off the sajras, or demons, who perform daring acrobatics on the rooftops, dressed in Inca colors and costumes from the Vice-regency days. Once the procession is over, a symbolic battle is staged amongst the devote dancers and demons, with the traditional victory of the faithful.
August 3-7
14. The Cross of Chaipón, Lambayeque
The cross that prevented the world from ending: Every year, the people along the north coast of Peru make the pilgrimage to Motupe, 90 km from Chiclayo in Lambayeque. This event is held to render homage to a miracle that occurred in 1868, when a group of locals, faced with tidings that warned that floods were about to end the world, climbed up to a gorge in one of the mountains to carry down to the town the wooden cross that was set up by one of the townspeople to prevent a cataclysm. To ensure divine intervention, the locals held Mass in town and then carried the cross back to its original spot, procuring the miracle. Since then, the spot has turned into the center of pilgrim- age for thousands of believers who visit the gorge to give thanks for favors conceded by the miraculous cross.
August 30
15. Santa Rosa, Lima
The patron of the Americas: In the middle of the four hundred-year-old city of Lima, tens of thousands of the faithful gather in the church of Isabel Flores de Oliva, who was canonized with the name Rosa of Lima, patron saint of the Americas. The faithful render homage to this saint who was born in the sixteenth century, whose image is especially venerated both in Peru and the Philippines. The believers cast slips of paper with their requests into a well so the saint can make them come true. A major religious ceremony is held prior to a procession, mentioning the most important miracles attributed to the saint, such as the rain of flower petals in the Papal office of Clement IX. As part of the worship, that since the Vice- regency has gathered together all social sectors, the devout come to visit the grotto built by the saint herself to perform her spiritual meditation. The celebrations are held all over the country particularly in the nearby town of Quives, where Santa Rosa discovered her religious vocation.
September 8
16. Virgin of Cocharcas, Apurimac
The traveling virgin: Worship of this image is linked to the rain season and agricultural fertility. Its origin, according to the faithful, dates back to the history of a believer who after suffering an incurable injury, traveled to Bolivia to beg the Virgin of Copacabana to heal him. On his way back to Cocharcas, cured of his ills, the man had a replica of the saint carved to show his gratitude. The quimichos, the devout, are in charge 'of celebrating the festival of the patron Virgin and carrying the image on processions through the streets of the district of Cocharcas, in the province of Andahuaylas, Apurimac. Two other replicas are also sent on a pilgrimage after harvest to Cusco and Huarnanga, the capital of Ayacucho, accompanied by prayermen and musicians.
October 7-12
17. Virgin of the Rosary, Ancash
A battle between Moors and Christians: To the East of the imposing peaks of the Cordillera Blanca massif (Ancash) and in the Callejon de los Conchucos valley, the town of Huari (412 km Northeast of Lima and at an altitude of 3,150 meters above sea level) decks itself out for a gala festival to pay homage to the virgin of the Rosary. The exquisite local folk art, represented by the dances of the Pallas and Negritos, is a colorful opener to the celebration. On the main day of the festival, two groups of locals dressed as Moors, in Andean costumes or as Christians in Spanish dress, parade through the streets, while one of the locals tells the tale of the battle that will be re-enacted immediately afterwards on the battlefield. The battle ends when the Moorish kings, having been beaten and taken prisoner, repent and beg to be converted to Christianty. At sundown, the procession of the Virgin of the Rosary starts, accompanied by the faithful and bands of musicians.
October 18-28
18. The Lord of the Miracles, Lima
The greatest Catholic procession in the Americas: This procession, which brings together the largest Catholic gathering in the Americas, has its roots in the colonial era, when an Angolan slave painted the image of Christ crucified on the wall of a now long-gone church in the Lima neighborhood of Pachacamilia. It quickly became an object of worship as it survived intact an earthquake that toppled most of Lima. Later, in 1746, the painting of a swarthy Christ was copied onto a canvas to preside over bands of followers, incense carriers and prayermen, most of them blacks and mixed-blooded Peruvians clad in purple. The festival represents the largest gathering of believers on the continent, which departs from the Church of Nazarenas in downtown Lima carried forth on the shoulders of the faithful to tour the main streets and districts of the capital during several days. The image is decorated with an immense litter crafted from silver and precious stones. In honor of the fes6val, Lima has also set up the internationally acclaimed bullfight season in October.
varies
19. The Captive lord of Ayabaca, Piura
A prisoner walks across the flowers: In the city of Ayabaca (at 2,700 meters above sea level), Piura, the image of the captive Christ is visited in its church by thousands of believers on the north Peruvian coast and Ecuador who make long pilgrimages, many of the visitors doing penitence to renew their religious vows, drawn by the image's reputed healing powers. Tradition states that in the eighteenth century, a Spanish priest had an image of the bound Christ carved in wood by some unknown peasants dressed in white. These men stated only one condition: that their work in a closed room not be interrupted and that their meals be delivered just once a day. After several days with no news, the locals suspected they had been tricked, and burst into the room, finding only the carved image. The main day of the procession is May 13, when the image is carried in a procession through the various streets of the city that have been carpeted with flower petals.
October 13-21
20. Lord of Luren, Ica
Christ in the desert
The origins of the devotion to the crucified Christ of Luren, patron saint of the city of lea (300 km south of Li@na) dates back to 1570, when this Spanish image got mysteriously lost in the desert on the way from Lima to lea and appeared in the nearby desert town of Luren. This was where Nicholas the Elder, one of the Spanish Conquerors who arrived in Peru with Francisco Pizarro, was to build a small church and a hospital for the local indigenous population. Today, this modern church, built in a Romantic style, houses the image of the dying Christ carved from wood, as well as the images of the Virgin Mary and the Magdalene. On the final day of the celebration, on October 20, the image is carried forth in a procession through the city from nightfall until 10 o'clock the next morning.
November 1 and 2
21. All Saints Day, Cajamarca
Joy in the cemetery: In the communities of Huambocancha and Porc6n, at less than half an hour from Cajamarca, the local villagers and the souls of the dead are convoked, by the pealing of church bells, to the local church to commemorate the Day of the Dead and All Saints Day. After Mass, the people enter the local cemetery bearing crowns of flowers and then decorate the stone tomb- stones and make shapes of crosses and church fronts in lively colors. After lighting candies and being accompanied by hired prayermen, they call on the dead and beg the Virgin and the saints to help the dead person's soul to enter Heaven. In addition, the family talk about family and community matters with the soul of their loved one. Finally, they share lunch with the soul of the deceased, bringing the food the deceased loved most in life, including the ceremonial coca leaf, chicha de joro drink and bollos, breadrolis made in the shape of babies.
November 2 and 3
22. Day of the Dead, Piura
Dancing with the dead: A peculiar mix of pre-Inca beliefs -who believed that the sun went down in the world of the dead and rose in the world of the living -and Western ideas- that on that day the souls in Hell and Purgatory rested- spurs family members and friends to visit their local cemetery together with hired weepers and elderly prayermen, to accompany the souls of the dead all night long. In the morning, they carry offerings with objects that the deceased loved in life, and the mothers buy sweet breadrolls with a cross in the middle to give them to any child who reminds then of their dead child. Meanwhile, bands of musicians play Peruvian melodies such as huaynos and tonderos. The ritual is also commonly held at the spot where the loved one died, which is marked by a cross. This is done particularly in the case where the loved one is a child or was murdered.
December 7- 10
23. Immaculate Conception, Arequipa
The Immaculate and the snatching of the brides: The town of Chivay, capital of the province of Caylloma, four and a half hours from Arequipa, celebrates during these days the festival in honor of the Virgin of the Immaculate Conception. The procession on December 8, which gathers thousands of the faithful, is followed by an amusing dance where men dress as women so as to be able to approach young maidens, seduce them and elope with them.
This festival is a classic invitation to get to know the cultural attractions of colonial art dating back to the sixteenth century. Dozens of paintings have been preserved in the towns and 16 churches that dot the Colca Valley, such as the splendid main altar and murals of the church of the Virgin of the Purest of Conceptions of Lari; the church of the Immaculate Conception of Yanque, a superb example of mestizo art form; and the chapel of San Sebastián of Coporaque (1565), the oldest Renaissance church of its kind in Peru.
December 12-15
24. Virgin of the Gateway, La Libertad
The virgin of the sick: In the highlands of the La Libertad department, the town of Otuzco (636 km northeast of Lima) celebrates the festival of the Virgin of the Gateway or Mamita de la Puerta. Local belief has it that the image left the church unseen to attend the sick- At the start of the procession, the image of the virgin, dressed in a long purple tunic and carried aloft on half-moon litter of precious stones, is received with adoration by thousands of faithful. Some of them go so far as to paint their faces black as a sign of penitence. With some ingenuity, the virgin is seen to descend to the patio from the church balcony to spread her blessings. The image, guarded by a folk group of the Black Slaves (Negritos Esclavos) is carried in a procession through the streets. Then after the procession, the entire town heads to watch an entertaining donkey race.
December 24-25
25. Andean Christmas, Ayacucho
A surprising religious imagery: There are many ways to celebrate Christmas in Peru, and these are different in the countryside and in the city. These reflect the particular conceptions of each region and their religious imagery, but without a doubt one of the most interesting and attractive Christmas celebrations takes place in Ayacucho. There the detailed work of artisans who craft the Nativity scenes for the colonial churches in their respective neighborhoods draws the local parishioners and large numbers of tourists avid to gaze at the carvings made from wood, silver, pottery or Huamanga stone (a local variety of alabaster) of the typical Nativity scenes. But these are then lent a regional touch that gives praise to life received from God. A series of folk demonstrations which include music, dances, costumes and food have been added to the Christian ceremony and run through the first week of January. This is when the traditional Magi Kings come down from the hills bearing gifts for the infant Christ. In addition, the artisans sell pottery and original San Marcos Retablos, boxed scenes of their daily lives, featuring images reflecting Christmas, and mates burilados, carved gourds featuring scenes of festivals and their day-to-day and historic activities.
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