UJ #17 - Traditional Peru

Masks are decorated with
metals and feathers, bringing
together elegance and colour.
Diego del Río
troupes begin to arrive, presenting the Virgin with a joyous
serenade that lasts throughout the night.
The 16th is the day of the main celebration. At 5 am, devotees
gather in the church for the Aurora mass, followed by the
fiesta mass, which is given at 10 am. After the liturgy, the
followers are invited to approach the Mamacha Carmen
and hang their intention charms – requests written on
metal plaques – on her dress, and/or light a candle: red for
love, green for money, and purple for success.
In the afternoon the Virgin, adorned in beautiful
garments and set atop her plinth that resembles the sky,
is taken out for a procession through the streets of the
village. Suddenly, colourful Saqras – or devils – invade
the rooftops that surround the plaza in attempts to
hide from the Mamacha. Meanwhile, dance troupes
fill the plaza preparing to perform their characteristic
dance, each of which represents a different aspect of
local history: the black slaves, the Spanish landowners,
the Inca warriors, the Chilean invaders, and bullfighters,
among others. The entire town and its visitors gather in
the plaza and the surrounding balconies to witness the
spectacle, tossing flower petals as the Virgin passes by,
and paying special attention to the colour of her cheeks:
pink cheeks signify good times, while pale cheeks suggest
that the future will not be so auspicious.
Diego del Río
The 17th is the day of blessings. It begins in the local
cemetery where deceased dancers are honoured with
song and celebration, before moving on to bless the four
suyos – or cardinal points – from the Carlos III Bridge, a
colonial construction made of stone. In the evening, the
people join their patron in the main plaza for the ‘battle’,
during which the Qollas and the Antis come face to face.
The 18th is dedicated to the children, who are taken to
the church for the ocarikuy, and to be blessed by the
Virgin and the local priest. Then, the final day brings with
it the most emotional ritual of all. The Virgin is placed on
her plinth and changed by the current fiesta hosts along
with those chosen to organize the celebration in the year
to come, in this symbolic ‘passing of the baton’ ritual. It
is with this important gesture that the festivities come
to an end, closing days of joy, devotion, and incredible
cultural expressions that live on like treasures hidden in
the small towns of Peru’s Andes Mountains.
THE CELEBRATION OF THE VIRGEN
DEL CARMEN WAS DECLARED
INTANGIBLE NATIONAL CULTURAL
HERITAGE IN 2006.
Despite the
weather,
celebrations and
dances in honour
of the Virgin do
not cease.
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