Holy Week in Peru: religious celebrations of the country that are Cultural Heritage of the Nation

It is the season of Holy Week, the religious holiday that serves as a time of reflection for the most Catholics, and as a moment of rest for others with trips throughout Peru taking advantage of the long holiday. As far as religious celebrations are concerned in Peru, several of them have been declared Cultural Heritage of the Nation.

What are those celebrations? Find out more about the most famous religious celebrations in the country, so you can keep up to date with their history. All were recognized by the Ministry of Culture.

CELEBRATION IN PAMPACOLCA

On July 26, 2021, Holy Week in Pampacolca was declared Cultural Heritage of the Nation. This is one of the 14 districts of the province of Castilla, department of Arequipa, as it is a holiday that reflects an original process of syncretism. The celebration takes place through elements such as veneration, respect for the sticks and the symbolic division of space into complementary halves.

For the celebration of Holy Week in Pampacolca, the space and the local population are organized into four sections called barracks, defined by the junction of 28th de Julio and Castilla streets in the center of the town. The procession of the Lord of the Holy Sepulchre, which takes place on Good Friday, and the visit to People's Square on Saturday, where the ritual of the t'impa takes place.

SEMANA SANTA EN CHANCAY

It was declared Cultural Heritage of the Nation on May 22, 2018 for bringing together numerous religious, social organizations, families and devotees of all ages. It is here that they worship associated processions, as well as being a date where the citizens of Chancay integrate into their historical memory with religious images. It begins with a tribute to Our Lady of Sorrows, Our Lady of Bitterness, Virgin of Mercy, Virgin of Sorrows or La Dolorosa, all of which represent the pains of the Virgin Mary.

They say that the Virgen de los Dolores de Chancay was found by fishermen inside a timber, near Chorrillos beach. It is special because it represents devotion to the individual faith or family, together with the collective memory for the virgin. The procession of the Lord of Triumph is held in Quepepampa as it is where they have been organized for generations for the celebrations of Holy Week. On Monday and Wednesday it is to the Lord of Joy to conclude the processions of Easter Sunday with the steps of Mary Magdalene, Saint Peter, Saint John the Evangelist and the Virgin of Sorrows.

HOLY WEEK CELEBRATION IN CATACAOS

In the resolution of February 12, 2018, which declares Holy Week in Catacaos, Piura region, as a Cultural Heritage of the Nation, the Ministry of Culture emphasizes that this tradition is a holiday that condenses religious fervor with historical narrative and ethnic vindication.

Its meaning is due to a traditional celebration because it configures a cultural universe in which the population of Cataquans express their Catholic devotion, their pre-Hispanic heritage and their affirmation of tallannity as symbols of pride and identity. They celebrate mass in the image of Maria Dolorosa de la Soledad, on Saturday the Easter Vigil is held, which culminates the following day with the Resurrection Mass of Jesus.

SEMANTA SANTA EN HUAMBO

On December 6, 2012, this traditional holiday was declared a Cultural Heritage of the Nation. The celebration consists of a series of processions of venerated images, whose sequence recalls the passion, death and resurrection of Christ, accompanied by images of the Sorrowful Virgin and Saint John the Baptist. They walk through the neighborhoods of Hanansaya and Urinsaya on a tour of the area for Easter. It is on Holy Thursday that the stations of the Way of the Cross are read in the church of Huambo.

For this they use a candelabra called “Tres Marías”, a triangle made of reeds and flowers that carries 14 lit candles. There is also a comparsa starring the “Lanlacos” and the “Muleteers”. Resurrection Sunday is the day of “Chaprinakuy”, on which a feast is held in the house of the butlers, where a “right” or offering to the earth is prepared. This is where the holiday for Easter ends.

EASTER WEEK IN HUANCAVELICA

In the center of the country there are also religious celebrations recognized by the Ministry of Culture. On October 25, 2013, it was declared a Cultural Heritage of the Nation due to its religious faith where Andean and Catholic elements converge. Both represent the majority of the citizens of the Huancavelica district. Its celebrations are according to the Catholic calendar, which is movable between the last weeks of March and the second week of April and lasts ten days.

We must highlight the previous masses of novenas and setenas that are part of the holiday, which take place during the course of the year. The first ten days begin with processions in the San Cristóbal neighborhood to end with Easter Sunday.

(With information from Andean Agency)

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