By Jhanpierre Adriano Cárdenas (ESAN University)
For many Peruvians Christmas represents a beautiful occasion in which all family members meet and share happy moments remembering the birth of Jesus, our Savior.
Peru, as a Catholic country, has many different religious holidays, but I think Christmas is the most prominent of all. Peru is a multicultural country, and each geographical area has different customs and traditions. I would like to show how Christmas is celebrated in the three geographical regions: the jungle, the mountains, and the coast.
Christmas in the Jungle
In the jungle, children have an important role in Christmas. Many of them participate in different nativity plays dressed as shepherds at the time of Jesus. The best performing group receives sweets as a prize. In addition, there are also performances by the locals as characters from the Bible who are guided by the Star of Bethlehem.
Christmas in the Mountains
In this part of Peru, the image of the child “Manuelito” is revered. “Manuelito” was the name the first Catholics in the mountains of South America gave to Baby Jesus to distinguish him from adult Jesus. Each part of the mountains has its own traditional Christmas celebrations, but most of them include special dances and celebrations leading up to Christmas.
The local “Santuranrikuy” Christmas Market takes place on December 24 in Cusco. Different handmade souvenirs are offered by different artisans, peasants and shepherds of the region who come together to offer their best products to tourists. In this market, we can find crafts made of wood, metal, cloth, etc. Especially popular are figurines of Baby Jesus, the “Manuelito Child.”
Christmas on the Coast
In this part of the country the celebrations for Christmas date back to the arrival of the first Spanish conquerors, and therefore different European cultural aspects are preserved. Despite this, in Afro-Peruvian areas such as Ica or Chincha, the “Niño Negrito,” or Black Baby Jesus, is celebrated, and he is honored with numerous dances of African origin. The Virgin of Carmen is also celebrated at this time.
However, in Lima, Peru’s capital, most of the excitement centers around the purchases of gifts for children, of the decoration of the house with Western-style Christmas trees, lights and Christmas ornaments.
The most important moment of the Christmas holiday for Peruvians is Christmas Eve night. Most of us eat Christmas turkey, accompanied by panetón, a traditional Christmas bread filled with sweet fruits and raisins, and hot chocolate. When midnight finally arrives, families celebrate together the birth of Lord Jesus and share beautiful moments. They set off fireworks and open presents, and everyone is happy. Many families celebrate until 2 or 3 in the morning.
