June is certainly the time for festivals in Cusco, and it kicks off with Corpus Christi. Apparently no other place celebrates this festival like Cusco.
60 days after Easter Sunday, main celebrations take place, although much has already happened.
On the days prior, images of saints and virgins are taken from their respective churches to the main cathedral. On the day, people start to gather early in the morning. The steps in front of the cathedral are decorated with hundreds of flowers, and all 15 saints or virgins from surrounding churches are on display outside the cathedral. Apparently all the images are given new finely embroidered robes each year. Really spectacular. The alter is placed outside the cathedral for an outdoor mass.
Throughout the morning, the crowd continues to grow.
Following mass, a silver carriage is carried around the plaza. When it returns to the cathedral, it's the turn of the saints and virgins to be carried around the plaza, followed by bands, dancing troupes and believers. Most are extremely heavy, and obviously an enormous privilege to be one of the bearers, or even one of the young bearers of the stand which is used to support the image. And from a spectator's viewpoint, it is really quite a spectacle which takes all afternoon. Each ones takes ages.... and there are 15 of them.
Throughout the day, vendors are walking through the crowd selling all sorts of things, the usual food, ice creams, jellies, as well as hats, selfie sticks and several types of stools. Definitely preparing for a l.o.n.g day.
After the procession, parties erupted in streets and plazas nearby with traditional food, Chiriuchu, which is only available during this particular festival. Food plates consisting of roast guinea pig garnished with toasted corn, pork, chicken and seafood like seaweed and fish roe, and normally washed down with Cusqueña beer or the local home brew, chicha.
We spent much of the day in the top vista spot, Norton's balcony, but left as these gatherings got underway.
Apparently the Incan festival celebrated around a similar time when work in the fields was finished and prayers were offered up to the sun god, included parading their Inca mummies around the main plaza. Now both traditions become one.
Read more about Corpus Christi in Cusco
More photos here..
And some awesome videos to follow
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