Cusco, the ancient capital of the Tahuantinsuyo, shows its history through its yearly celebrations. So, if you plan a vacation in Cusco, you'll see a mix of cultures. You'll see the Inca practices mixed with the Catholic traditions that the Spaniards introduced.
The city of Cusco still has this cultural mix, and it also has modern elements. This change is easy to see in the Cusco festivals that are part of the yearly schedule. The official calendar includes many different events, such as Andean winter solstice ceremonies, Holy Week processions, and the Cusqueña Beer Festival.
Going to the Cusco festivities is a good way to learn about the region's religious and social customs. No matter when you go, there will be an event in the city that will make your trip even better.
Next, we will learn more about Cusco Peru. We will also talk about the most important and representative festivities of this region.
Cusco was the capital of the Inca Empire and is now the main place for logistics in the Andean region of Peru. Because of its high altitude (3,399 meters), it is important that visitors spend some time getting used to the height before doing difficult tours on the outskirts.
It is best to plan activities that do not require much physical effort during the first two days. This strategy makes it easier to adjust to the altitude, helps you understand the street layout, and gives you the basic historical background of the city.
The suggested first step to familiarizing yourself with the infrastructure and local culture is taking a tour through the urban area. The key points of this urban circuit are:
The region's yearly calendar includes celebrations that blend Catholic rituals with Andean traditions. These dates mark the city's social rhythm and allow visitors to experience the local people's cultural, culinary, and artistic traditions throughout the year. Below, we will tell you about each of Cusco's main festivities.
The Patron Saint Festival takes place every January 20 in the San Sebastián district, which is located south of Cusco's historic center. The main activities are a central mass and a procession later in the day, during which the saint's image is carried through the streets by various traditional dance groups and music bands.
The steward, or butler, is a local citizen who is responsible for organizing the event and taking on the financial and logistical responsibilities of the festival. On this day, the district streets are transformed to welcome the faithful, and food stands are set up to sell traditional regional dishes, such as the "cold spicy meal". This marks the official beginning of the city's traditional festival cycle.
This festival is known for its water, foam, and colored powder fights in the streets of the city and nearby provinces. The main activity is the "gift tree," also known as "tree cutting," which involves planting a tree adorned with gifts, plastic items, and clothing. Participants dance around the tree and take turns cutting it down with an axe. Once the tree falls, those present pick up the items. During this season, the main food custom is eating the "boiled meal," a stew made of boiled meat, potatoes, sweet potatoes, cassava, cabbage leaves, and chickpeas.
Holy Week in Cusco is commemorated differently than in the rest of the country because its main day is Holy Monday. On this day, the procession of the Lord of the Earthquakes, the Sworn Patron of the city, takes place. The procession consists of carrying the image through the Main Square and nearby streets while the faithful throw red "red flower" flowers. This local plant symbolizes the blood of Christ.
Another traditional event this week is Holy Thursday, when local families typically prepare and enjoy a traditional lunch consisting of twelve different dishes, with no red meat allowed.
This is the most attended Catholic event in the city. It consists of a gathering of fifteen images of saints and virgins from different Cusco parishes. The images are carried in a procession on silver and carved wooden stands to the cathedral in the main square. The festival lasts eight days. During this time, nearby streets fill with musicians, dancers, and food stalls selling only the "cold festive dish," a traditional meal made with guinea pig, chicken, jerky, fish roe, seaweed, and cheese.
This holiday celebrates the winter solstice and recreates the most important religious ceremony of the ancient Inca calendar. This large-scale theatrical production features hundreds of actors and takes place in three locations throughout the city. It begins at the Qoricancha temple, continues in the Main Square, and concludes with the final ceremony at the Sacsayhuaman archaeological site. There, rituals thanking the sun god, Inti, are recreated.
This celebration is one of the largest religious movements in the Andes and occurs a few days before Corpus Christi. It consists of a pilgrimage to the Sinakara Valley sanctuary, located at the base of the Ausangate Mountain, which sits more than 4,600 meters above sea level. Thousands of followers organize into groups, or "nations", representing their provinces. They perform dances without stopping while facing freezing temperatures. The festival's main character is the "bear-man", who acts as a spiritual guide and keeps order during the event.
In July, on the 28th and 29th, the city celebrates Peru's independence. Activities include civic, school, and military parades in the Main Square and main avenues of the historic center, which temporarily replace regular car traffic.
On the other hand, the "Sale of Saints", a Quechua term meaning "sale of saints," is set up on December 24. This temporary folk art market takes up almost all the space in the Main Square. At this fair, hundreds of artisans from various Andean communities sell ceramic sculptures, altars, textiles, and local plants, such as moss and grass, which are used to build traditional Christmas mangers. The most requested figure on this day is the "Child Manuelito," the Andean version of the Christ Child.
Let's start with May, known worldwide as the month of mothers. In Cusco City and its surroundings, however, it is the month in which the most religious and traditional feast, the "Festival of the Crosses," is celebrated.
Its name? Cruz Velacuy.
When the Spaniards arrived in Cusco, one of the most effective Catholic symbols they used was the cross. In the case of the Tawantinsuyo, crosses were located in various places and sacred sites that were dwellings or shrines of Andean gods. As a symbol of good against evil, the cross is present everywhere and at all times, deserving of spiritual invocation and external celebration on different occasions.
This party originated in the first decades of the 18th century. At that time, it was a relatively humble private family holiday, not the grand event it is today. The cross is a symbol of Christianity, and for Catholics, it represents the passion of Jesus Christ. After the Spanish conquest, the cross became a symbol of struggle and ideological conflict in the effort to evangelize the Americans. It was also used to facilitate their submission. Thus, its adoration and use became obligatory in the New World. The "extirpators of idolatries" (Catholic priests), when destroying Inca sanctuaries and idols, took care to place crosses in their place.
Nowadays, the city of Cusco is Catholic and celebrates the Feast of the Cross on May 2. If you are lucky enough to be in Cusco on this day, you will see the traditional worship of the Holy Cross. The celebration usually has a "carguyoq", or butler, who is a person who has voluntarily agreed to organize and pay for most of the celebration's expenses. The "carguyoq" is almost always a wealthy person who owns a house where an altar will be built for the cross.
During the celebration, many traditional dances are performed, such as the "Carnaval Cusqueño" and the "Mestiza Qoyacha." Let's learn more about these traditional Cusquenian dances.
You can also enjoy these traditional dances at various Cusco festivals, such as Cusco Day, Torrechayoq, the Qoyllor Rit'i Ritual Feast and the Paucartambo Festival.
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