Peru

Saints for Sales in Cusco, Peru Every year on the 24th of December, Cusque??os wake up find to their main square packed with hundreds of artisans from Cusco and the surrounding areas , all displaying their creations on rented stalls or even on blankets on the sidewalk ??? an Andean fair custom. The celebration of Santuranticuy (???saints for sales???) - considered the oldest, grandest Folk art fair in Peru - gathers all sorts of carved Christmas handcrafts, from images of a newborn Jesus - known as ???ni??o Manuelito??? in the Andes ??? to the Retablos (small altarpieces in the shape of a box that ... Read Full Story

Semana Santa In Ayacucho - Peru Semana Santa or Holy Week is a holiday of utmost importance in Peru, a country of majority Roman Catholic faith.  Celebrations vary across cities , some being more ornate and detailed than others.  In Ayacucho, also known as Huamanga, a small Andean city with 33 churches (residents rebelled against Spanish and Catholic domination so strongly during colonial times that the Spaniards kept building churches in the hopes of converting more locals), the celebrations span 10 days.  Young and old from all parts of society partake in this event.  The locals express their faith and devotion to their religion ... Read Full Story

Richard Kurin is the Under Secretary for History, Art, and Culture here at the Smithsonian Institution. He is a cultural anthropologist specializing in the study of knowledge systems, folk arts, museums, and development. He is currently Study Leader on our Extraordinary Cultures – An Epic Journey Around the World tour, and will be blogging periodically while traveling. This post is fourth in a series. To see the other posts, click here . Paso horses demonstrate their unique style. Photo: Richard Kurin Dateline: Lima, Peru We left the beautiful Monasterio—a former 16th century monastery converted into a hotel—and Cuzco, and flew back through the Andes ... Read Full Story

Christmas in Peru Unlike many countries where families gather to celebrate on the 25 th , Peru ???s tradition sees families gathering the night of December 24th to wait for midnight, have a nice dinner, exchange hugs, good wishes, and of course, presents .  Christmas dinner in Peru usually consists of baked turkey or pork, apple sauce, two or three varieties of salads, Arabic rice (rice cooked with noodles and coca-cola), a couple of light desserts and the traditional hot chocolate and panet??n (a big, licorice-flavored muffin with raisins and candied fruit). And of course, lots of champagne and wine! Christmas also brings original, ... Read Full Story

Floods in Peru The strike's may be calming down in Peru but the weather is definitely acting up! If you???re travelling to southern Peru (Puno, Cusco or Arequipa) or are looking forward to spending sunny days in the north of Peru, notice that heavy rain is expected in both areas until the month of April.  In the north zone of the country, the city of Tumbes has been severely affected by rivers overflowing causing floods and landslides. In Cusco , the city of Aguas Calientes is working on the construction of walls along the river to prevent floods which can lead to a disaster ... Read Full Story