Alp chsrismas

Christmas

Christmas is an important holiday in the entire world. It celebrates the birth of Jesus but it isn’t his actual date of birth. It’s on December 25 but in other countries is on January 7.The families are together and the people sing Christmas carols and interchange gifts .This holiday combine different customs. Millions of homes in America are decorated with Christmas trees and thechildren wait for Santa Claus who gives them presents.
This holiday appeared for first time in Rome. On December 25, the Romans celebrated a pagan festival for the Sun. It’s for this cause that the Christians choose this date. It was established by Julio I Pope in 350.
This holiday is very important to Christians but is more interesting in Peru because in just one place there are many traditions.Christmas in the coast of Peru
Christmas in Lima is very well - known but it isn’t the one in the coast of Peru.
In Lima, days before Christmas, there are children and adults choirs. The stores are decorated with colored and light Christmas trees. On Christmas Eve, the families go to the church to listen “Midnight mass” .Then they go to their houses and they eat roaster turkey or chicken andhot chocolate. At midnight, the families interchange gifts.
In Ica people pray to “Black Baby” and on Christmas Eve the streets are crowded .Groups of persons dance “zapateo” and sing. Then, they go to “Virgin Carmen” procession.
In Lambayeque, the children wear costumes of angels and march for the city. They sing Christmas carols. On Christmas Day, the families eat a typical dish called“Empanadas de viento” .It has meat, raisins and eggs.
In Piura the teenagers visit different Nativity scenes in the homes.
They sing Christmas carols. On Christmas Eve, the persons start the fire in cows ‘horns and persecute children.
Andean Christmas
Andean Christmas is very interesting because each place has a particular form to celebrate. People usually play traditional harps, violins and quenasaround the Nativity scenes .They go to typical parties with colored costumes and pray for Baby Jesus . Baby Jesus is called “Manuelito” in Peru because the Spanish clergymen used “Emmanuel” to say “God with us” on colonization time.
In Ayacucho, there are Nativity scenes with handicrafts, dancers, music, typical dishes and persons with masks .The holiday is from December 25 to January 6(Bajada deReyes).
In Apurímac, people dance a typical dance called Huaylia .This dance is celebrated on December 25 and then, people do “The Tiachiri” .They invite food and drinks to the persons. They organize dancers’ contests for “Manuelito baby” .On January 6, people dance “Negritos de Huánuco” for all the week and they visit different houses and institutions.
In Huancavelica, from December 22 to December27 people dance a pagan and religious dance called Tucsup .The tucsup dancers was considered priests, fortune letters and sorceress during Inca Empire.
In Cusco, the mass media diffuse Christmas carols in quechua since December 1 .On Christmas Eve ,there is an interesting fair in the Arms Plaza .There are artisans ,pastors and farmers in one only place to celebrate “The Santiranticuy” (Saints'purchase) . People offer ceramics and handicrafts in carved wood or stone, etc. in the fair.
In Puno, people read leaves of coca to predict facts on Christmas Eve .Then, they go to Wawa Qato (Fair of the children) to buy things about Christmas. In other places, animals are sacrificed for the Mamapacha or Earth.
Christmas in the Selva of Peru
On Christmas Eve, people decorate the Nativity sceneswith banana leaves and typical fruits like aguaje.
In Moyobamba, people drinks masato and eat roaster paiche with yuccas on Christmas day. The children wear costumes of pastors and they visit the homes. They look for the best Nativity scene to reward it. The families give the children candies, gifts and a corn drink.
In Ucayali there are “Pastoreadas navideñas” .Groups of persons wear...