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FESTIVITIES IN CUSCO
The best, the only way of
compenetrating with a city that is
living a constant festivity like
Cusco is to understand the deep
sense of its celebrations. The range
of festivities that Cusco propose to
the visitor is almost endless. Thus,
the main ceremonies are the ones
that establish the most important
moments. By the way, Cusco take also
into account the national holidays
such as our Independence day but
none of them can be compared to the
regional celebrations in Cusco if we
talk about the quantity of audience
joint.
The Coyllur Riti, for instance, meet
pilgrims from the andean south as
well as from other nearby countries.
On the other side, there are minor
celebrations related to daily life
such as cleaning the drains, the
first hair cut or the engagement of
a couple.
long with all of these celebrations
and showing the versatility and
diversity of Cusco as a festive city,
modernity has entered the city
establishing a festival which could
be considered the most important
festival of youth music in the
country.
The historic background of the
festivities
Since the Inca period, the religious,
military and civic ceremonies were
very important in the Sacred City of
the Incas as they reaffirmed the
magic and mythic character of their
city. During the colony, the
religious festivities became more
important. Along the years,
festivities have suffered many
changes. Although all the elements
that have been included, the
celebrations have not loosen their
main features and they are still,
most of them, related to the
agriculture and cattle calendar.
The festivities of the vital cycle
It is about a series of festivities
that had, even today they do, a very
important role in their social life.
They create and reinforce the links
of relationships and reciprocity
among the andean communities. Among
them we have the haircut or
rutuchikuy, the serwinakuy or mock
marriage and the day of death people.
The colonial festivities
Festivities became more important
during the colony. The baroque
festivity, splendid product of the
Counter-Reformation was thought as a
method of resistance against the
sudden attack of the Protestantism.
As they considered it as the
institute for the civilization par
excellence, Spanish authorities
tried all the social levels
participate in them. Thus, in the
new squares, in the masses and
processions, along with the songs
and firework, the native inhabitants
were incorporated little by little
to the new order. The wealth of the
prehispanic ceremonial life
facilitated the establishment of
colonial ceremonies and contribute
to the symbiosis. As Catholicism is
also a religion of solar worship,
the date of the catholic festivities
were the same as in the andean world.
The western calendar of festivities
was established along with the
andean calendar. We have the same
day the celebration of the Inti
Raymi and the Corpus Christi for
instance.
Easter and the Lord of tremors
Easter is a central commemoration in
the catholic world as it reminds us
about the death and resurrection of
Christ. In Cusco, the celebration of
Easter is related to the Lord of
tremors: the defensor of the city.
The image of the Taytacha Tremors,
as it is called in Cusco, amazes by
its expression of roughness and pain.
The worship dates from the colony
when in 1650 a horrible earthquake
practically destroyed the city and
the population decided to take the
Christ out in procession by the
streets of the city.
For the cross, the saints and crops
At the time of the conquest of
America, the cross was the symbol of
the new religion and the european
civilization. With that purpose, the
Council of Lima ordered to put
crosses in all the ancient worship
places. But, despite all the orders,
the indian continue venerating their
huacas below the Christian symbol.
As the time past, a religious
syncretism started. The cross was
related to the huacas. Finally it
became the symbol of the union
between the catholic religious and
the andean believes. Nowadays, the
cross has a very important place in
the andean world. The festivity of
the Velacuy cross is celebrated the
first week of May and concurred with
the period of crop.
Regional festivities
During the last years, the regional
festivities have become more and
more popular. They join thousand of
pilgrims from all the andean south
and nearby countries. The
organization of the festivities and
the competence among the devotees to
assume their charges and the
butlership of the festivity are
clear signs of their importance and
meaning. The most celebrated
regional festivities are the
festivity of the Lord of Coyllur
Riti, the Lord of Huanca and the
Virgin of Carmen.
The renaissance of the Inti Raymi
In 1944, on initiative of Humberto
Vidal a representative of the Inca
Garcilaso Center and one of the most
notable characters of the neoindian
movement, they established the week
of Cusco. June 24th was declared as
the main day of Cusco and the Inti
Raymi was established the most
important event taking place in the
esplanade of Sacsayhuaman. Besides,
they composed the hymn and the song
of the city. For some notable
persons in Cusco, the intention was
to support a "revolution" directed
to the people in Cusco in order to
make them assume the importance of
valuing the inca past.
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Peru
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