Miracles & Bullfights: The Purple Month in Lima
Procession of the Black Christ
In one week, on October 18th, the ten day celebration of the Lord of Miracles begins, one of Peru’s most revered religious festivities. (It’s also affectionately known as the Black Christ due to the icon’s origins and appearance.) It has been taking place for three hundred years and is considered a hallmark of limeño identity. One of Peru’s most popular soccer teams, Alianza Lima, even changes the color of their team jerseys each October.
The festival’s main event is one of South America’s largest processions, during which the faithful bear the weight on their shoulders of the Black Christ on a 2-ton litter, carrying the icon in short shifts before passing it on to the next group, and so on for the 24 hour duration of the procession. They’ll depart from Las Nazarenas church, cross Lima’s city center, and make their way to La Merced church in Barrios Altos. Those who carry the icon are accompanied by incense-wielding and shrouded ladies, musicians, singers, dancers, and a multitude of vendors hawking traditional limeño street food and treats.
The signature treat for what’s known as the Purple Month is called Turrón de Doña Pepa, a sticky anise-flavored sweet covered in confetti candy and sprinkles which was created by slave Josefa Marmanillo (Doña Pepa), who believed that her devotion to the Lord of Miracles returned to her the use of her arms and hands. Make sure to give it a try; it’s very sweet and the caramel and anise combination is surprisingly delicious despite the treat’s …festive… appearance. What else should you try? There’s the marinated and grilled intestine known as choncholí, skewered anticucho beef hearts, giant Andean choclo corn, sweet picarones fritters, and the requisite aforementioned turrones.
October also kicks off Lima’s two-month bullfighting season, dedicated to the Lord of Miracles. During this time the best bullfighters from around the world compete at the Plaza de Acho stadium, which at 245 years old is the world’s second oldest bullring still used today. The prize is the 18k Escapulario de Oro and the best bull wins the Escapulario de Plata. During this season there are events every Sunday afternoon, and tickets are available at the Wong and Metro supermarket chains, with cheap tickets in the sun and expensive ones for seats in the shade. Bullfighting is definitely controversial these days, so you could join the spectators in the stadium or the protestors outside… If you are interested in watching an event, please be aware that in Peru it is to the death. There’s a museum showing the history of the stadium, which in its time was one of the world’s largest.
Just by checking the newspapers you can find offers, for special pre-event menus by restaurants who then bus their clients to the bullring. This is a fun option, and relieves you of having to find your way to the Plaza de Acho bullring in Rímac alone.
[Update: We’ve had somecomments from anti-bullfighting activists upset with the promotion of bullfighting on the blog. Since it is a part of the October festivities, and we orient the blog to upcoming events and tourist information, we have included information on Lima’s bullfighting season for those who are interested. However, we do think that any travelers who think they would like to see a bullfight check out some videos and photos of what transpires first, since its bloody nature can be shocking. From now on we’ll try to be more careful in giving equal time to both sides. If you are interested in learning about the growing opposition movement that would like to see the practice banned in protection of animal rights, search for the Peru antitaurino page on facebook.]
A Humble History
During Peru’s colonial period, slaves and freedmen used to form self-help and religious guilds. The October festivities date back to 1651 and the Pachacamilla guild, founded in a shantytown populated by freed slaves of Angolan descent. It was here that an unknown person painted an image of Christ on one of crude adobe walls. When an earthquake devastated Lima a few years later, leveling temples, mansions, homes, and all of Pachacamilla but for the painted wall, masses began to be held at the image despite the disapproval of authorities. Through the second half of the 1600s and first half of the 1700s, the Christ painting survived numerous attempts of erasure and an incredibly destructive earthquake and ensuing tidal wave. After the 1746 earthquake, the Las Nazarenas Church was built around the image, authorities decided to allow the formerly unapproved cult, and the processions began.