Major Festivities in Peru

The spirit of Peruvian Man, sculpted by art and religion, has given rise to a creative vein which crops up in an endless variety of shapes, rhythms and rituals. Year after year, more than 3.000 folk festivals, 1.500 musical styles and countless arts and crafts confirm that Peru is home to one of the most varied folk legacies on Earth.

With this outpouring of artistic expression, Peruvians feed on their deep-lying roots to project a timeless alliance with nature and, through rhythms and colours, strengthen their commitment to life and extend to visitors the hospitality and reciprocity that are so typical of Peruvian culture. The many festivals, even those of a religious nature, reveal the joyous nature of Peruvians, their inclination to be sociable and share their hopes.

Peru holds around 3.000 folk festivals every year. This guide takes a look at a selection of them, chosen for their tourist popularity, geographic reach, cultural importance and unique character. Most are dedicated to a patron saint, falling within the Christian calendar imposed during the Vice-regency, after having been carefully adapted to the magical and religious beliefs of a particular region. There are, though, some which are exclusively pagan. In any case, a traditional Peruvian festival is, by nature, a space where both sacred and profane come together in a single manifestation of pride, vitality and sheer joy (taken from Festivities, Music, and Folk Art in Perú by PromPerú).