What Are Some Holidays Celebrated in Peru?

Some of the main holidays celebrated in Peru are:

New Year’s Day

Epiphany (1-6)

Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter (April or May)

Labor Day (5-1)

St. Peter and St. Paul (6-29)

Fiestas Patrias (7-28, 29)

Santa Rosa de Lima (8-30)

Battle of Angamos (10-8)

All Saints Day (11-1)

Immaculate Conception (12-8)

Christmas (12-25)

Learn more here about these Peruvian holidays and some of the major Peruvian festivals.

Let’s look at holidays celebrated in Peru other than the holidays which are celebrated in many places around the world such as New Year’s Day, Easter, Labor Day, and Christmas.

• Epiphany is the last day of the Christmas celebration in Peru. It marks the day the three wise men visited the baby Jesus and brought him gifts. The city of Lima, called the City of Kings, was founded during Epiphany festivities in 1535. Therefore, the date had special significance for the people there. On this day there are processions, dancing, and feasting, that includes a special bread called “Rosca de Reyes.”
• Fiestas Patrias are Peruvian National Holidays that celebrate Peru’s independence from the Spanish Empire. July 28th is the day to celebrate Peru’s independence and July 29th honors the armed forces and the National Police.
• Santa Rosa de Lima honors the first Catholic saint of the Americas, Rose of Lima. She died on August 24th, but August 30th was the closest day to the date of her death that was not already taken by another saint.  
• The Battle of Angamos occurred on October 18, 1879 during the War of the Pacific.  
• All Saints Day is also called All Hallows or Hallowmas. It is dedicated to those who are dead and decorations are placed on graves. Families prepare food to share with the departed. At nightfall, there is a candlelight vigil held at the cemetery until dawn on November 2nd. 
• The Immaculate Conception refers to the birth of Mary, mother of Jesus. It is believed she was born without sin and with grace. 

Festivals Celebrated in Peru

Besides all the holidays which are celebrated in Peru, there are many festivals celebrated. Every town holds festivals for their patron saint, so there are literally thousands. Here are a few of the more well known festivals.

• Inti Paymi, or festival of the Sun, comes from the Incas and is homage to the Sun. Most of the ceremony is held close to the city of Cuzco at the ruins of Sacsahuaman. It is held on the winter solstice, June 24th, and two llamas are sacrificed. The festival was started by the Incas so the sun (their father) would not abandon them (his sons).
• The celebration of Corpus Christi is a holiday that is celebrated in many places around Peru, but is very impressive in Cuzco. It occurs sixty days after Easter Sunday and lasts seven days with a procession of saints on the first and last days.
• A festival to honor the Virgen del Carmen is held in Paucartambo on July 16th. She is the patron saint of the mestizo people, who are Peruvians with indigenous American and European ancestry. The celebration last for five days and has much music and dancing. 
• On the shores of Lake Titicaca is a town named Puno. Here they celebrate the Mamacha Candelaria or Virgen de la Candelaria. The main day of festivities is February 2nd but there are activities for nine days before that, like decorating, setting up fireworks displays, and getting everything organized for the celebration. There are colorful processions and the dance of the demons, or diablada. The story behind the dance tells of miners who were trapped and resigned their souls to the Virgen de la Candelaria. The dancers make offerings to the goddess Pachamama.

Peru has hundreds of celebrations each year including the holidays and local festivals.