festivals – Page 4 – Pirwa Hostels BLOG

Señor de los Milagros & the Purple Month in Lima

October 1, 2015 Pirwa

Each year, on October 28^th, the largest religious procession in South America takes to the streets of Lima in honor of the Lord of Miracles (Señor de los Milagros). The city is overtaken by a festival atmosphere and by the color which believers don throughout the month in a show of devotion- even the city’s soccer team changes into purple. Because of an image painted by an Angolan slave centuries ago, October in Lima is known as the Purple Month and is marked by festivities and the year’s most prestigious bullfights. October even has its own pastry that bakeries and street vendors throughout the city hawk with enthusiasm: the Turrón de Doña Pepa.

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All Saints Day & Day of the Dead in Peru

September 23, 2015 Pirwa

In Peru, All Saints Day (Día de Todos los Santos Vivos) and Day of the Dead (Día de los Difuntos) are celebrated by picnicking with the deceased. As in other Latin American countries, the belief that souls visit the earth on this day inspires families to bring offerings and share meals with departed family members. Large cemeteries throughout the country suddenly fill with color, barking vendors, street musicians, flowers, families, food and alcohol in lively celebrations that contrast starkly with traditions in other countries.

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Celebrations for St Rose This August in Lima, Peru

August 3, 2015 Pirwa

On August 30th, Peru celebrates a national holiday honoring St Rose, the Americas’ first saint. Even if you’re not Catholic, you’ll find plenty of entertainment- like most of the other religious festivals of Peru, the festivities include drinking, feasting, and dancing, with street vendors bustling about adding color and excitement to the proceedings. Thousands of celebrants will gather along the main streets of Lima to watch processions of the saint’s image accompanied by the flags of the countries of the Americas (a colorful reference to Pope Clement X christening St Rose the “primary saint of the New World.”)

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The Official Schedule: Celebrate Arequipa’s Anniversary this July & August

July 21, 2015 Pirwa

This August, Arequipa will celebrate its 475^th founding anniversary with a month-long series of festivities. The activities already began this last week with a literary contest known as “A Story for Arequipa”, and will conclude on August 30^th with a food fair, arts & crafts show, and talent show. The wide-ranging program includes concerts, parades, talks, theatrical works, sports competitions, festivals, and more.

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Don’t Miss this Sunday’s Great Wong Parade & Outdoor Festival in Lima, Peru

July 18, 2015 Pirwa

The 28^th annual Gran Corso Wong, Great Wong Parade, will take place this Sunday, July 19^th. The event has become a local tradition and one of the main events of Lima’s Fiestas Patrias (Independence Days) celebrations. Although the official dates of Fiestas Patrias aren’t until the 28^th and 29^th of this month, Lima will kick off the celebrations this weekend.