Stories: Aracari Newsletter

Easter may be observed across the globe, but nobody celebrates it quite like the communities of the Andes. Easter in Peru, commonly known as  Holy Week (Semana Santa),  offers a time for many sacred events and celebrations throughout the Andes. Friends and family gather together, and many attend church to mark the occasion. Others embrace the national holidays of Maundy Thursday and Good Friday (the Thursday and Friday before Easter) as opportunities to get out to parks or landmarks and enjoy in their days off. Ever since Catholicism was brought to Peru by Spanish since the XVI century, the Andes have had a complex (and beautiful) approach to religion. When the Spanish arrived, indigenous Andean communities already had their own established religious beliefs and practices, many of which became a part of their newfound Catholicism. Today, the result is a syncretic relationship between Catholicism and indigenous beliefs, blended into a unique approach to faith. No time is this syncretic relationship more apparent than during  Holy Week, when native religion and Catholic rituals are brought to the forefront through commemorations and unique Peru Easter traditions. Holy Week represents the most important days of the year in the Catholic calendar. Easter Sunday, the day that concludes Holy Week, is meant to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Holy Week itself also includes important holidays: Holy Thursday, also known as Maundy Thursday, honors the Last Supper, and Good Friday is a somber day that reflects on Christ’s crucifixion. In many parts of Latin America, Semana Santa is an especially treasured time of year. In the Andes, you’ll find all kinds of special Peru Easter traditions worth traveling for, and thousands of visitors will join locals in the cities that most love to celebrate. The most important Easter in Peru traditions Here’s where to