April Festivities in Peru

by Danielle Lane

April in Peru is not only a beautiful time to visit, but also a time that several large and important festivals take place in the main squares of cities across the country. 

The week before Easter, Semana Santa (Holy Week) is one of the largest festivals of the year in which both secular activities and religious processions continue for days on end.  If you are able to travel to Peru during this time, you will have a colorful experience of Peruvian culture mixed with religious ceremony.

The festival in Ayacucho is the considered the most excellent celebration of the year.  Surprisingly, few tourists visit this city for Semana Santa so you are bound to have a truly authentic experience with locals, Peruvians and fellow South Americans if you choose to make the trip.

You can make your way there by flying on local airlines or by taking the more common means of travel; a nine hour bus ride from Lima.  If you want to be there for the entire celebration, plan on being in the area for at least 10-12 days. 

You should also be sure to book a hotel or hostel well in advance.  If nothing is available, it is possible to contact the tourist office to get a list of locals willing to provide accommodations.  The events are very well organized and maps and lists of events are provided for free. 

The first event, the Friday before Palm Sunday, is the procession of Our Lady of Sorrows.  During the ceremony it is not uncommon to be pelted by small pebbles to inflict ‘sorrows’ upon you. 

Each day following has colorful and fun religious rites, parades and processions to reflect the Catholic traditions of the city.  Throughout the days there are also many secular activities such as folk dancing competitions, sporting events, agricultural fairs, art shows, music concerts and of course plenty of food stands and demonstrations to enjoy. 

The Saturday before Easter Sunday becomes an all night party that is followed by a spectacular display of fireworks at dawn to celebrate the time of resurrection of Christ. 

Similar events take place in Huancayo, Huraz and Arequipa. 

If you happen to be in Cusco and not able to make the larger celebrations, you should at least aim to attend the procession of “El Señor de los Temblores.”  During this procession, the famous wooden crucifix is paraded through the Plaza de Armas of Cusco. 

This tradition goes back to the earthquake of 1650 in which locals paraded the crucifix through the main square while praying to the heavens to stop the earthquake that rumbled beneath them.   It is said that during this procession the earthquake miraculously ceased.  To this day this ritual is followed as a form of celebration the Monday before Easter.

In fact, no matter what village, town or city you find yourself in, you will certainly find seemingly endless processions of icons and religious statues parading through the most popular section of town.

This is a guest article sponsored by Aracari, a leading Peru travel agent specializing in luxury Peru travel experiences.