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Travel Information
Celebrations
| The festivity of " Virgen de la Candelaria" is celebrated every year from 8 to 14 of February in
Puno ( 1\2 hour by airplane from Cusco to Juliaca) .It's a very interesting traditional
celebration with a lot of dancing in which the dancers show decorated and
authentic masks. The most famous is the "diablada" (devil dance) . |
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| "Inti
Raymi" (The Sun celebration)
It's the
most important celebration in Cusco .Every year on the 24th of June,
this area comes to life. According to the ancient chroniclers ,these
celebrations were linked to the harvest and provided the opportunity for the Incas to
express their appreciation to their gods : the sun, the moon, the thunder, Huanacauri and
the Mother Earth for the products which ensured the sustenance of the population.
Singing
and dancing and consuming the sacred chicha of the corn are integral parts
of this celebration. The Inty Raymi ceremonies are
performed in several towns designated for this purpose. But the most important ritual
event is the beginning of the harvest. In the beginning of the harvest, the youth chosen for military or political
activities go to the Sausero to collect the corn. This area is near
the Temple of the Sun or Coricancha. The tourists go up to the Sacsayhuaman fortress
where they can admire the performances and dances. The dancers wear traditional
clothing of the Incas and the Inca's kings sacrifice a lama , using
a knife, to offer the
heart to the Sun . The festivity continues all week.
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Corpus Christi.
Since early colonial times , the feast of the Corpus Christi has been celebrated
throughout the Andes. This feast , which is one of the most widespread in America,
began
in the Middle Ages. It provides the opportunity for faithful Catholics to be united around
the Eucharists . In Cusco ,the festivities last a week and are attended by many visitors.
During the celebrations, most of the sacred images which are normally displayed in the
churches of the city , are joined together in the Cathedral. Each image is accompanied by
members of the brotherhood dedicated to this figure in their respective parishes. The most
important event of the feast is the moment when all of the faithful, the musicians and the
saints take part in the procession around the plaza de Armas. Some of the members of the
brotherhood wear special clothing or carry elegant wax candles , embroidered images and
standards. Altars such as those traditionally used in Spain and introduced in America
-with images of the saints and the mirrors which so fascinated the Indians
of the colony-
are set up in the corners of the plaza. During the feast of Corpus Christi , a fair used
be held in the city at the same time to sell products from the valley. |
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| Virgen of the Carmen in Paucartambo
There are many versions of the origin of the feast day. Initially it was the
Spaniards who introduced the practice by paying respect to this virgin in all of the towns
of the colony. For this reason, feasts were celebrated throughout America. In the town it
is said that in the 16th century, two virgins arrived in southern Peru from Spain.
One of
them from the town of Puno and another from the town of Paucartambo. Some claimed that the
most beautiful virgin remained in Paucartambo. This caused a conflict between the two
towns and the residents of Puno tried to steal her. Oftentimes in the Andean religious
feasts, there is a sense of competition with other feast days. In this case, the lovely
clothing as well as the organization and discipline of the dancers, has made the feast
day of Paucartambo one of the most important in the region. Presently, there are 15 groups
which participate the feast. It is celebrated each year from July 15 - 19 .The
celebration held in the town includes a recreation of historical events, which are
traditionally staged in several scenes. Each group recreates moments and events which are
interpreted in mythical cycles. The complexity , the musical symbols, the costumes, the
dances and the symbiosis between actor and spectator are the reasons why the feasts of
Paucartambo attracts many tourists. During the first days of the feast, many tourists take
advantage of their stay in Paucartambo to visit the Tres Cruces, where they can admire the
horizon of the Amazon and the phenomenon of the sun dance at sunrise.
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| June and July are the most interesting months to visit Cusco because
there are a lot of celebrations and traditional dances such as : "Corpus
Christi" religious festivity , Inti Raimi (see above) , "Virgen del Carmen"
from 15 to 17 of July with exhibitions of allegorical masks specially in the city of
Paucartambo (250 km from Cusco) , and much more...... |
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Visiting Cusco ? We offer the
best tours around !
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