Those of you traveling through Bolivia or Peru during the holiday season will notice that Christmas here is quite different than in many other places. Firstly, it falls in summertime and, in the Andes, the rainy season. Rather than ubiquitous Santa Clauses on every corner and in every shopping mall, there’s the live-action neighborhood nativity with real animals and people.
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.
If you’ll be traveling through Peru in July, get ready to string up your red and white streamers and don your Peruvian flag pin! One of Peru’s largest celebrations of the year is Independence Days, celebrated the 28th and 29th of each July. The atmosphere is festive, with red and white decorations appear throughout the streets, and many Peruvians take advantage of the long weekend to travel and to celebrate with their families, enjoying traditional regional dishes throughout the country such as ceviche and causa in Lima, goat stew in the north, roast guinea pig and alpaca in the Andes, and stuffed chili peppers in Arequipa to name just a few. Throughout Peru there’ll be fairs and street parties, outdoor concerts and fireworks shows, impromptu serenades in the plazas and parks, folkloric dance parades, and bullfights.
Holy Week is fast approaching! During this time, Cusco is a very popular destination for domestic and international travelers alike, as the erstwhile Imperial City of the Incas celebrates the event in its own Andean-Catholic style, notably with feasting, folkloric music and dance, and processions of the Lord of Tremors (also known as the Black Christ)….
It’s been announced that this year’s Qosqo Mijuy (Cusco Eats) Food Fair will take place April 2nd and 3rd. The fair will be divided into two sections, one for prepared dishes and one for a farmer’s market called ‘Leading the Change’ offering reduced-price, locally-grown produce from the Sacred Valley as well as seafood. The aim of the fair is to bolster fading Holy Week culinary traditions in Cusco, which involve preparing 12 types of dishes. This, in part, is why they offer cheaper options during a time when seafood prices skyrocket. Even though it typically takes place during the very busy Holy Week, the fair is overwhelmingly popular- in previous years, it’s attracted more than 7,000 people each day. These aren’t Mistura numbers, but for a mid-size event in a provincial city, it’s pretty great!