Origins
Much of Peru's colorful culture today originates from its Pre-Columbian times as seen through the incorporation of many pagan ideals and rituals. Peru is full of beautiful traditions from various dances, rituals, celebrations and fiestas to textiles, cuisines and social norms. The Peruvian culture provides a unique blend of Spanish, Amerindian practices and values that may be found interesting to many.
Inti Raymi
(Conoce el Peru, 2015)
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This famous event translates to "Fiesta del Sol," or Sun Festival, and takes place in the imperial city Cusco. On June 24th of every year, hundreds of native actors perform a worship ritual paying homage to the Sun god, one of the most supreme gods in the Inca culture. For centuries, every Inti Raymi has been carried out same as it was during Pre-Columbian times; however, several changes were made for the year of 2016 and on. Rather than re-enacting the same rituals and traditions, delegations who represent the four parts of the Inca Empire join in on participating in the festival and focus more on the celebrations and stage performances. Full of costumes, music, dancing and chanting, Inti Raymi is a significant festival of the Peruvian culture.
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Offerings to the Earth
To this day, the Peruvian culture continues to incorporate the worshipping of natural deities as a symbol of their adoration and devotion to the natural world. The natives pay much homage and respect to several figures such as the Sun god Inti, the guardian spirits of the mountains Apus, and Mother Earth Pachamama. Because their belief system surrounds the ideal of reciprocity, the natives make payment offerings called "pagapus" as a way of thanking the natural gods for providing man with the land and all of its resources. Some examples of these offerings are cocoa leaves, grains, wine, animal sacrifices, and "huairuros," red and black seeds with symbolic and magical powers (Peru Trave,l 2017). These offering ceremonies are usually performed in the Andes during the entire month of August.
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Textiles
Contrary to popular belief that the Incas valued gold due to its implementation into their architecture and jewelry, their love for alpacas far exceeded their love for gold due to the soft fleece the alpacas provided for clothing, floor rugs, and tapestries. The Incas valued these textiles so much, it was their form of currency all throughout the empire. Today, Peru's wool is one of the most desired wools around the world. As a result of the cold climates the Peruvian alpacas live in, "they grow dense coats composed of fleece that’s extremely durable, with a high thermal quality. The herds are cared for by indigenous shepherds and breeders, who have passed their techniques down from generation to generation" (Harley, 2017). In modern day Peru, Cusco and its surrounding villages are the epicenter of Peruvian alpaca wool textiles, and the demand for these textiles grows along with Peru's increasing popularity in tourism.