Carnivals

February 10th, 2007

Carnivals in the Peruvian Andes are signed by a festive atmosphere and a refusal of every solemnity. Although every city or town has its own interpretation of the festivity, some are shared country-wide -or at least region-wide.

In the coast, for example, the youth have fun throwing water-balloons to the pedestrians. In the Andes -and in many rural areas of the coast- the yunza ritual is quite common. The yunza consists in artificially planting a gift-loaded tree, and then to dance around it while hitting the trunk with a machete, until the tree falls.

Though carnivals are celebrated everywhere, some of the most peculiar and fun are to be found in Cajamarca, Puno, Ayacucho and Huarás.

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