Traditions of Peru

The people of Peru strictly respect the traditions and customs inherited from ancient ancestors. Some of them for us seem strange enough and outlandish. For example, run with a suitcase five minutes before the New Year around the quarter. Peruvians are quite polite and courteous in communication, etiquette for them above all else. Folklore of Quechua Indians is the visiting card of the country. The culture of the local inhabitants was formed under the influence of Indians and Spaniards. That's how fun and unusual the Peruvians live.

About Traditions

Peruvians, according to ancient traditions, honor the most important holidays for them, which they inherited from the Incas. This is Inti Raimi - the summer solstice, Puno's day and the Pachamama festival. In addition to pagan holidays, the traditions of Peru include Catholic and Christian festivals, for example, Easter and All Saints Day. In addition to official and church holidays, according to tradition, many festivals and fiestas are held in Peru. Fiestas usually start in October and end in April. Fiestas are dedicated to a local event in history or the veneration of the patron saints of a particular locality. Also in Peru it is not customary to get drunk.

The most popular customs

1. Peruvians believe that if you have time to run around the block on the eve of the New Year, then a person in this year will be lucky in terms of traveling abroad. On New Year's Eve, single girls are looking for a couple with a willow twig in their hands, to whom they touch this twig, they must become their fiancé. And they also eat 12 grapes while they chime, and in the load of the 13th, it is believed that it brings good luck.
2. Christmas traditions in Peru are similar to European ones - dinner in the family circle, traditionally on the table are turkey, chocolate, apple pie. Many organizations organize charity meals for the poor. For Christmas, walking without a present is considered bad form. And in the traditions of the Peruvians - to be late for half an hour.
3. On the Day of All Saints visit the graves of deceased relatives, the people of Peru carry flowers and food. Another custom is associated with this holiday: if there are children among the deceased, when they meet on the street a child is given a small piece of sweet potato or coconut wrapped in a bright wrapper, such sweets are called angels.
4. In Cusco , in addition to the Incas antiquities, you can visit many interesting places and activities. For example, the Keswachak suspension bridge is intertwined annually. It is unique in that it is completely woven by hand. This custom exists for so many years, how many years of the bridge, and he is 600 years old. The representatives of the same families weave the bridge, as they did many years ago. The ceremony begins with a prayer and a rite of sacrifice to the goddess Pachamam.
5. Another of the long-standing traditions is bullfight. This event was brought to the country by the conquistadors. In Peru, bullfighting is of a cultural nature.

Traditions of the Indians of Peru

1. According to a long tradition celebrate the Day of the Indians. On this day, Indians from remote and deaf areas march to Cusco, where they worship the great spirits of the mountains and ask for mercy from a powerful Indian shrine.
2. In the mountains of the Andes, the customs of predicting the future are still preserved today. In the village of San Pablo there are unusual races, the priests of three villages compete. The agricultural future of one of the three regions of Peru depends on the victory.
3. Also, the Indians retain their customs associated with inter-woven relations and sowing works. Before sowing, abstinence was required. With the onset of sowing works on the field, unique races were organized, the participants of which were absolutely naked.
4. According to another tradition for the New Year in Peru, the Indians conduct the Temaskal rite, which promotes purification of the physical and spiritual.