Bioquimica

In Peru about 3000 typical fiestas are celebrated every year. The majority of those are organized to celebrate the day of a santo patron (a saint). Those saints originally formed part of the Christian calender in the Colonial Period but they were always mixed with the magical religion of the Andean regions. A good example of this “cultural syncretism” is the Festivity of Corpus Christi in Cusco.This religious day, originally introduced by the Spaniards, was accepted by the Peruvian inhabitants as for them it had little to do with Catholicism, so much more with an old Inca ritual.
Especially in the traditional village high up in the mountains or in the jungle, there are several traditional celebrations, that related to ancient myths and/or important agricultural dates.
Inti Raymi(Festival in Peru)

One of the biggest and most impressive celebration, a homage to the Sun, an important God in Inca Culture. The main part of the day takes place at the Ruins of Sacsahuaman, a beautiful natural scenery at 2 kms from Cusco of the large ceremony, an acknowledgment to the Sun.
The ceremony starts earlier the same day at the Koricancha (the Temple of the Sun, in the city of Cusco) andat the Plaza de Armas (the Haucaypata, in Inca times). Around noon the participants go to Sacsahuaman, together with the thousands of national and international tourists that came especially to see this impressive ceremony, where two llamas are sacrificed.
June 24th, one of the shortest day on the southern hemisphere, was organized by the Incas (possibly on June 21th), because they were afraidthat the Sun (their Father) would abandon them (his sons).
The Virgin of Carmen or Mamacha Carmen (Festival in Peru)

Four hours from Cusco, in the town of Paucartambo, thousands of devotees hold festivals in honor of the Virgen del Carmen, known locally as Mamacha Carmen, patron saint of the mestizo population. The gathering, that raises the curtain on these days of celebrations is held in themain square, where troupes of musicians play their instruments while richly dressed choirs sing in Quechua. The setting gives way to a series of ingenious choreographies that portray events in Peruvian history.
For five days, dance companies in various costumes (Doctorcitos, Waca Waca, Sarjas) take to the streets to accompany the Mamacha throughout the entire procession through the main square,the church and the city streets. On the main day, the virgin is borne aloft in a procession to bless those present and scare away demons. The dancers take to the housetops, performing daring gymnastics, showing off their colorful Inca and colonial garb. At the end of the procession, war is waged on the demons, from which the faithful emerge in triumph. Finally, the gathering ends up in thecemetery to render homage to the souls of the dead.
The Virgin of Candelaria or Mamacha Candelaria (Festival in Peru)

For 18 days, the highland town of Puno, nestled on the shores of Lake Titicaca at an altitude of 3,870 meters above sea level, becomes the Folk Capital of the Americas. The festival gathers more than 200 groups of musicians and dancers to celebrate the Mamacha Candelaria. For thefirst nine days, the mayordomos (those in charge of organizing the festivities), decorate the church and pay for Mass, banquets and fireworks displays. On the main day, February 2, the virgin is led through the city in a colorful procession comprising priests, altar boys, the faithful, Christians and pagans carefully maintaining the hierarchy. This is the moment when the troupes of musicians anddancers take the scene, performing and dancing throughout the city.
The festival is linked to the pre-Hispanic agricultural cycles of sowing and harvesting, as well as mining activities in the region. It is the result of a blend of respectful Aymara gaiety and ancestral Quechua seriousness. The dance of the demons, or diablada, the main dance of the festival, was allegedly dreamed up by a group of...