The Candelaria Festival.-

Puno is the Capital of Peruvian folklore, due mainly to the more than 300 dances that come from all over the region and for the costumes used for the dances, that can be satirical, pastoral, agricultural, or of weddings, mystics, warriors etc. The Candelaria Festival is the year's main folklore event for the Puno region and indeed for Peru, and it is celebrated every second Sunday in Februaury, when the population enter into a religious and festive fervour with no equal, something that can only be really appreciated by being in the city of Puno and taking part in this unique festival.

We recommend that you programme several days' stay in Puno to fully enjoy the festival and to discover the complementary activities that grow each year. We will soon publish a calender of festival dates, compiled by the organisers of this great traditional festival.

Carnival

Carnival in Puno is celebrated in a particular way as it is the time to breed livestock, thus a breeding pair is selected to be blessed. It is the time to visit ones farm or smallholding to bless, sing and dance for the crops and animals so that they may be more fertile. Also in Puno carnival, music groups and dance troupes take to the streets of the city, visiting neighbours and inviting them to join in the fun.

Rutuchi in Luquina

Rutuchi is a ceremony in which the parents allow their children's hair to be cut by respected and well-off persons, who then become godparents or second parents to the children. Gifts of money, animals and objects of value are given to the children to secure their financial future. It is a very important moment in the life of the young child, who feels integrated into the family and starts a close relationship with his or her new godparents that continues until adult age is reached.

The ceremony is usually performed on the 6th August, the day of Luquina's town festival to honour the Candelaria Virgen.

Alasita and The Cross of May

Alasita is a miniatures market held in the first week of May which is frequented multitudes of believers who buy miniatures of houses, hotels, shops, vehicles, professional titles, money, passports, visas for foreign travel, construction materials and bread products. These miniatures are then offered to the venerated saint's cross, to the Pachamama and to Equeko (demigod of fortune) at 12 midday on the 3rd May, the central day of the festival and extremely popular. After the blessing the objects are blessed by godparents and their owners who ask that the small objects be converted into the real things and their wishes come true in the year to come.

Immaculate Conception

A major festival to honour the Sainted Virgen of the Immaculate Conception, celebrated 8th December at in Lampa and Mañazo. Dances seen at this festival include the "llamerada" (dance of the llama) as well as popular local dances such as the morenaza, diablada etc.

High Grace

A special festival of great religious significance celebrated on 8th September, day of Our Lady of High Grace. It is a commercial festival that has been famous since the colonial period, with bullfighting on 4 consecutive days and accompanied by ckajcha, a dance typical to the region of Ayaviri.