A YEAR IN FESTIVALS

The festivals according the year cycle:

1. PUQALLY takes places in February. The festival serves as a plea for the gods to bring welfare to the village and the animals during the year in that region of Andes. There are couples in very flashy dresses that are in charge of bringing happiness and fertility with their arrival, as well as abundance.

2. QOYLLURRITI takes place in June, before Corpus Christi, at 5,000 meters high. It is an ancient place of indigenous pilgrimage to talk and pray with the “Apus”, mountain Gods. In order to rule the region, the missionaries brought a Christ in the XVIII century called Lord of Qillurriti. There are a group of dancers that play an important role in the festival of the Quechua people.

3. Corpus Christy festival, imported from Spain, replaced an extraordinary festival in the Inca Empire: the Festival of the Sun God Intij. The procession of fifteen images stands out. Around them, groups of dancers are performing. Even if the saint and virgins belong to the Catholic tradition, parts of the rituals are performed by Incan divinities.

4. “VIRGEN DEL CARMEN Y LA GUERRILLA” festival takes place in July. In its processions groups of dancers perform. Some of them only perform during this particular festival. After that there is a stage play, a drama from a historical event and partially legendary from the pre-Hispanic period: a bloody battle between two ethnic groups, Qollas and Chunchos, people from the mountains and people from the jungle. The battle begins due to Qollas Chieftain’s wife, who is kidnapped after a battle.

5. SANTIAGO MATAINDIOS takes place in the last days of July. It also represents the God of the Rain and the Thunder, Illapa. In this festival people pray for the rainfall.

6. YAWAR FESTIVAL is very similar to a traditional bullfight, but with only two main characters: a bull and a condor. The bull represents Spain and its culture while the condor represents Quechua people and culture. If the condor wins, Inca Empire is going to come back. If it is the bull who wins, the Spanish power will continue ruling. This festival and battle takes place the Independence Day, from July 8^th to 30^th.

7. SAN SALVADOR AND THE END OF INCA EMPIRE. This festival and stage play takes place in the beginning of August. After San Salvador procession, the patron of the city of Huancapón, the people from the city performs during 4 days the end of the Inca Empire with the death of the last Inca, Atahualpa, who was sentenced to dead by Francisco Pizarro in a garrotter.