From carguyoq to flower carpets: Experiencing Corpus Christi in Cusco and Cajamarca

Corpus Christi festivities begin on May 30 in Peru.

Cusco and Cajamarca are two Peruvian cities that really get into the spirit of celebrating the Corpus Christi tradition. This year, they are looking forward to welcoming loads of locals and foreign visitors who want to join in the festivities.

This celebration, with strong ties to the Christian faith, as well as Inka and colonial traditions, honors the Consecrated Host while also commemorating several saints and virgins from the Catholic Church. Recognized as a Cultural Heritage of Peru back in 2004 in Cusco, Corpus Christi is a lively and colorful event filled with dance and music that enchants everyone who takes part in it.

What does Corpus Christi mean?

Corpus Christi traces its roots back to medieval Belgium in Europe and honors the body of Christ in the Eucharist. This Catholic festival commemorates Jesus’s Last Supper with his apostles, which is why mass and communion hold central significance. In Peru, cities like Cusco and Cajamarca draw large crowds of worshippers and tourists to celebrate. Both regions declare a public holiday for this occasion, allowing people to participate fully in the festivities.

Photograph: Andrés Allaín / PROMPERU

CUSCO: Quechua devotion

The Corpus Christi celebration in Cusco has been going on for over 400 years, taking place sixty days after Easter Sunday. While it originated in the sixteenth century, its origins trace back to the time of the Inka Empire. Back then, during the Tahuantinsuyo era, the Inkas used to organize yearly processions around Cusco with the mummified remains of their past leaders as a lead-up to the Inti Raymi or Festival of the Sun.

The Spanish conquerors took up this tradition to spread their religion, swapping out the mummy parades for statues of saints and virgins. But there is a tale that the Inkas hid the mummies under the sculptures, in an act of cultural resistance.

Saints' Entrance

Currently, in Cusco, the local hosts, known as "carguyoq," are getting things ready for the festival, serving up food, drinks, and music. On Corpus Christi Eve, people gather as the saints from different churches make their way through the streets, joined by the faithful followers who dance to local music. St. Jerome and St. Sebastian, these two saints really stir up excitement every year with their traditional race to reach the Main Square first.

Photograph: Yuri Maydana Excelmes  / PROMPERÚ
 

The saints' platforms are lifted on shoulders by brotherhoods and faithful followers, who sometimes walk barefoot to express their deep faith. Upon reaching the Cathedral, St. Peter symbolically passes the cathedral keys to St. Anthony, signifying the presence of all saints in this sacred space for a week.

Photograph: Shutterstock

Central Festivity of Corpus Christi

The heart of the celebration in Cusco is the classic Quechua mass attended by all the saints, followed by a grand procession through the city streets. Every saint and virgin receive reverence, with musicians, dancers, and locals dressed in traditional attire joining in. Food is a big part of the festivities too, especially the iconic dish known as "Chiriuchu," made with guinea pig, chicken, roasted corn "cancha," cheese, jerky, Cusquenian sausage, torreja, cochayuyo, and rocoto pepper.

Photograph:  Juan Leva / PROMPERÚ

CAJAMARCA: Cajon and clarinet players

Corpus Christi is the most important religious festivity in Cajamarca, also a result of the evangelization carried out by the Spanish colony. The celebration has been enriched with local cultural manifestations and has been associated with a great fair where numerous merchants of diverse products come from different parts of the region.

Thursday of Fervor

The day begins with a grand mass led by the Bishop of Cajamarca, accompanied by priests, deacons, seminarians, officials, congregations, brotherhoods, and parishioners.

One of the most anticipated moments is when the Consecrated Host is carried in a procession, protected by "La Preciosa," a stunning sculpture crafted in silver and gold, standing almost a meter tall. The procession winds through the streets near the Main Square, with local drummers and trumpeters creating a unique musical atmosphere in the country. In 2024, the procession will begin at the Qhapac Ñan complex and end at Cajamarca's Main Square.

Photograph: Paola Martínez Morales

A sea of carpets

On Corpus Christi Eve, public, private, educational, and religious institutions come together to create stunning decorative carpets on the ground. These carpets are made from a variety of materials like local flowers and sawdust dyed with aniline. They exhibit religious, landscape, and traditional designs, drawing attention with their vibrant and exotic colors.

The "La Preciosa" monstrance is joined by many clarinet and cajon players from Porcon, Chetilla, and Baños del Inca, forming a genuine display of religious devotion that holds significant importance for generations to come.

Photograph: Paola Martínez Morales

The Corpus Christi celebration in Cusco and Cajamarca is a vibrant fusion of faith, culture, and tradition. Through processions, masses, dances, and delicious gastronomy, these festivities reflect the diverse cultural legacy of these areas, providing visitors with an unparalleled and memorable experience.