Virgin of Candelaria Festival in Puno, Peru
Gualeguaychú Carnival in Entre Ríos, Argentina
Santo Domingo Carnival, Dominican Republic
Content of this article
What is the Feast of the Virgin of Candelaria?
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The Feast of the Virgin of Candelaria is an annual celebration that was cataloged Immaterial Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO in the month of November 2014, since it has a great amount of cultural, musical and religious elements. Likewise, within the celebrations can be found great aspects andartistic and cultural elements of the Aimara, Quechua and Mestizo.
Initially, the festivities are celebrated with a group rehearsal, the novenas in honor of the virgin, the dawn of the festivities with their preparations, the main procession of the virgin, the octava and the veneración. During these events, the groups dance and wear costumes with traditional designs of the region.
Today, carnivals carry with them a deep religious and folkloric feeling. In addition, large organizations and folkloric federations participate in the event, promoting the attendance of more than 18 dance groups in the different localities of Puno. Currently, the event is attended by some100,000 people and 10,000 musicians.
The different ethnicities and cultures take place in the Feast of the Virgin of Candelaria in Puno to venerate the image with their dances and music
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When is the Feast of the Virgin of Candelaria?
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The festivities take place on the eve of February 2. Lthe festivities will take place approximately from January 31 to February 9.
History of the Festivities of the Virgin of Candelaria
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The festivities in Puno are mostly dominated by dances and dances that the different indigenous communities performed or commemorated the virgin. At first, the festivities were mainly carried out with the presence of the Morenos and Sikumorenos, who were dance groups that participated in the processions. However, as the decades passed, other types of dances and groups began to take spaces, some of them Kullahuada, Llamerada and other small groups.
Likewise, some other groupings, genres and subgenres dance began to make their presence felt in the traditions. Today, elevento has groups of sicuris, morenadas, caporales, diabladas, kullahuadas, waca wacas and other autochthonous groups.
During the nineteenth and twentieth century the municipality did not allow the use of masks or costumes, so the groups suffered aggressions or had a lot of obstacles at the time of presentation. The first dance contests that took place in the Festivity of the Virgin of Candelaria were carried out by the sicuris at the beginning of the 20th century. These were organized by the municipality, in which groups from different parts of the district participated to compete and obtain the title of winner. In the following years, other dance contests began to be held, incorporating other groups.
Where is the Fiesta de la Virgen de la Candelaria?
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The Festivity of the Virgin of Candelaria is held in the city of Puno, located in the southeast of the country, in the province of Puno..
There are competitions of different types of dances in the Feast of the Virgin of the Candelaria of Puno
How is the Festivity of the Virgin of the Candelaria celebrated?
During the festivities commemorate and pay homage to the Virgin of Candelaria, patron saint of Puno and it is a manifestation with Catholic aspects and Andean traditions.
First, the mass at dawn takes place followed by the procession of the virgin through the streets of the city accompanied by traditional dances and music. After this, the festival continues with the contest of the groups in which some thousands of dancers and musicians participate, the main participants being the quechua and aimara.
Likewise, thedance federations also participate in the festival with the intention of preserving the cultural heritage and preserving the traditions of dances, music and masks. Finally, the celebrations culminate with an eremony of honor, concerts and a closing ceremony.
If you want to know more about tourism in this country, I recommend this guide:
Tips for going to the Festivities of the Virgin of Candelaria
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To attend the festivities it is important that you plan your trip in advance, as the town of Puno receives many visitors during the festivities and lodging can become somewhat scarce.
Events on the Feast of the Virgin of Candelaria
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First, the procession of the different groups takes place, which is considered aceremony of honor to the Virgin of Candelaria, so dances with music are performed through the center of the city carrying the image of the virgin.
After this, preparations for the official festivities begin with the arrival of the different authorities and groups. In the late afternoon, the dawn masses are held and in the evening a fireworks show in front of the sanctuary of the virgin. Also, on Tuesday, February 2, the mass and procession are held.
Finally, on Friday the groups and bands begin to arrive to start thedance contest with lights. On Saturday 6th the dawn masses take place with the groups at the Sanctuary of the Virgin.
On Sunday, the great costumes of lights contest takes place inside the facilities of the Torres Belon Stadium of Puno from morning to night, then the groups begin to take over the city and celebrate in the streets.
The last two days are celebrated the veneration to the virginn with the great parade between the streets of the city, accompanied by dance groups, the route is 4 kilometers. In addition, there are also small presentations at various points of the city simultaneously.
The groups create choreographies and dances during the Feast of the Virgin of the Candelaria of Puno
Virgin de la Candelaria Festivity Parades
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The parade takes place on thelast two official days of celebration, being Monday and Tuesday, respectively February 8 and 9. The parade is a great veneration to the Virgin of Candelaria. The groups of dancers and musical bands come to cross the streets and make the 4 kilometers route. The groups take the opportunity to present their choreographies and continue the festivities in the street.
Parade route
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En la Fiesta de la Virgen de la Candelaria de Puno las personas recorren las calles bailando y venerando a la virgen
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During the procession of the Virgin, the image is venerated and the groups take the space to give dance demonstrations accompanied by music. The parade takes place at 8:00 am and lasts 3 hours, crossing the main roads of the city.
El Chicharrón de alpaca es un plato de insignia de Puno que se come en las festividades
What to eat on the Festivity of the Virgin of Candelaria[/h2>.
The Thimpo de Carachi is one of the typical meals of Puno, it is a fish broth from the region, accompanied by potatoes and herbs. Another of the signature dishes of Puno is the Chicharrón of alpaca which is served with potatoes and vegetables.
Some places that Puno locality offers you are: La Table del’ Inca, Alma Bar Restaurant and Tulipan’s Restaurant & Pizzeria..
The Thimpo de Carachi is a fish broth with potatoes and vegetables typical of the area
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Travel Insurance
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From Carnavalesdelmundo.org we recommend to hire a good insurance to visit this carnival and to know the rest of the country. For being our readers we offer a 5% discount on all IATI insurances. Read more information about all insurance offers here:
What to see and do inside the Feast of the Virgin of Candelaria
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Within the festival you can see the different dances performed during the week of festivities. All the groups congregate in the streets, each one of them performs a type of typical and traditional dance of their ethnicity or culture.
What to see and do outside the Festivities of the Virgin of Candelaria
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The island of Taquile
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It is an island of approximately 2,200 inhabitants. Within the island coexist the inhabitants who possess a different linguistic domain to Spanish called Quechua.
The floating islands of the Uros
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They are artificial islands made with a plant that grows in Lake Titicaca, called totora. The islands are home to the uros, an ancestral people of the locality.
Sillustani
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This attraction is a funerary complex where there are tombs belonging to the Kolla dating from 1200 to 1250.
Safety during the Festivities of the Virgin of Candelaria
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Puno is relatively safe, you just need to practice the same precautions you take in your city and you will be fine.
Don’t leave your belongings in any public place, keep an eye on your surroundings and keep your items in a safe place. Also, we recommend the following products to keep your belongings safe:
Weather on the Feast of the Virgin of Candelaria
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During the festivities Puno has a humid and somewhat rainy climate. The average temperature is 14 degrees Celsius.
The groups wear typical costumes and masks for the competition of the Feast of the Virgin of the Candelaria of Puno
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How to get to the Festivities of the Virgin of Candelaria
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How to get there by plane
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To get to the festivities in Puno, it is necessary that you approach the Inca Manco Capac International Airport, since from here it is easier to access the area. However, it only receives domestic flights, so you must take a plane from Cusco or Lima, then to the Inca Mano Airport and once there, you can use other means of transportation to get to the city.
How to get there by train
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You can take a train from Cusco to Puno. The journey takes 10 and a half hours.
How to get there by bus
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From the airport you can take a vehicle or cab to Juliaca. Uonce there, take the Cusco-Puno bus until you reach the city, the whole trip will take you about an hour.
How to get there by car
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From the Inca Manco Capac International Airport, take a vehicle to Puno taking highway 3S. It will take you about an hour.
Where to stay during the Feast of the Virgin of Candelaria
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Tierra Viva Puno Plaza
3 star hotel 150 meters from the center. Rooms have wifi and television. Facilities offer trips to the airport.
Hotel Hacienda Puno
3-star hotel 150 m from the center. Rooms have satellite TV and private bathrooms. The hotel has a bar, airport shuttle, internet and free parking.
Hotel Balsa Inn
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3-star hotel 150 meters from the city center. The rooms have cable TV and private bathrooms. The hotel also offers airport transfers, bar and free internet.
We recommend you use Booking.com to book hotels at a good price, check more information here:.
Thank you for reading
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