Holy Week (Semana Santa) & Easter in Peru: Andean Cusco Rituals

When travellers decide to celebrate Easter in Peru, they can experience a whole host of regional traditions that reflect the syncretism found in the Andes and other regions. Rather than being limited to Easter Sunday, Semana Santa is a full week of religious and cultural celebrations, with the days leading up to Easter Sunday filled with masses, solemn processions, traditional rituals, and gatherings that take over the streets of towns and cities across the country.

Easter or Holy Week (Semana Santa), as it’s known – is the perfect opportunity for all visitors who are looking for a cultural experience during their Peru travel experinece!

Andean Traditions in Peru: Holy Week Celebrations

Let’s take a look at some of the Easter traditions that are popular throughout Peru:

• Celebration of Semana Santa (known as Holy Week or Easter Week). Like in other South American countries, in Peru the entire week is about rich cultural traditions and celebrations. On Holy Thursday and Friday, people spend time together taking a break from work and academic activities.
• Feast. (avoiding red meat) During Easter in Peru, believers do not consume red meat. Instead, locals include in their menu a great variety of fish including the feast on Easter Sunday.
• Processions. On Holy Thursday it is common to observe masses of people following the procession to the seven churches. This act represents the seven times Jesus Christ stopped carrying the cross.
• Washing feet. Happening also on Holy Thursday, people wash the feet of 12 senior citizens just as Jesus did with the 12 apostles.
• Easter Sunday celebrations. Throughout the week the main reflection is about the crucifixion, then on Holy Saturday and Easter Sunday parties and festivals take over the streets to honour the resurrection of Jesus.
• Typical Peru Easter traditions. Happening mostly in the coastal capital city of Lima, some American traditions have been introduced into the local culture. So, in the capital of Peru it’s common to see children and young people in the middle of an Easter egg hunt.

Quick Facts About Semana Santa Across Peru

Before you immerse yourself into Easter in different cities in Peru, check out these Semana Santa facts that will blow your mind:

• In South America, many Easter celebrations are based on a mixture of Indigenous and European Catholic traditions.
• In some areas of Peru mostly in the Andes, locals chant in Spanish but also in the Quechua language during Easter festivities.
• Some of the most popular chants in Quechua are Apu Jesucristo and Apu Yaya Jesucristo
• On May 31, 1650 an earthquake hit the city of Cusco, but when locals took out of the church the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, the earthquake suddenly stopped.
• In Huaraz, after the processions that take place in main areas of town, locals end the event with the release of hundreds of live birds.

Holy Week in Cities like Cusco

The biggest celebration takes place in the provincial city of Ayacucho. This city welcomes visitors who travel 12-14 hours to enjoy holidays and explore celebrations in Peru.

Cusco locals participate with a lot of devotion in all of the Holy Week processions. Visitors who get the chance to be there during this special week can feel the devotion and religiosity in the air.

Far away from Ayacucho, in Cusco, Holy Week shows how Spanish Catholic traditions have been adopted into an Andean context. The biggest religious celebration takes place on Holy Monday, when the Señor de los Temblores (Lord of the Earthquakes) is carried through the streets of the city in one of Cusco’s most important and solemn processions. Throughout the rest of the week, locals participate in a variety of religious traditions, including visits to churches, the preparation of the Twelve Dishes, and fasting in remembrance of the death and resurrection of Christ.

Palm Sunday (Sunday before Easter)

On this day of Holy Week, people usually congregate in the main plazas, cathedrals and churches so priests can bless their intricate palm leaf decorations.

Easter Monday

In Cusco, a huge procession takes place in honour of the Señor de los temblores (the Lord of the Earthquakes).

Holy Tuesday & Holy Wednesday

During these two days, people visit cathedrals and churches at different times for the mass of the day.

Holy Thursday

The main event on this day is to pay a visit to the Blessed Sacrament shown in all temples.

Good Friday

During Good Friday in Peru, some people stay at home for a quiet day commemorating the death of Christ, while others visit the city of Cusco to buy and sell medicinal plants in the market. In some communities, you may also see solemn processions and prayers following the Stations of the Cross, which commemorate the final moments of Jesus’ journey to the crucifixion. Some families travel through the Sacred Valley to the town of Calca to see the procession of the Santo Sepulcro (Holy Sepulchre).

Glory Saturday

In some areas it is common to observe some parties and street festivals mostly at night, when locals start to honor the resurrection of Christ.

Easter Sunday

If you wonder how is Easter Sunday celebrated in Peru, this is the first thing to know: it’s the epicenter of Holy Week, starting in the early in the morning with fireworks. Later on, people gather in the streets to taste local food and view cultural exhibitions commemorating Christ’s resurrection from the dead.

Peruvians have their own style for Easter Sunday celebrations. They set up parties full of colours, flavours and music in cities such as Lima, Arequipa, Ayacucho and Cusco where visitors are more than welcome to be part of the cultural celebrations. If you want to know how to celebrate Easter Sunday in Peru, you pretty much just need to head out into the street!

Easter in Ayacucho

The best Semana Santa festivities take place in the central Peruvian highlands where Ayacucho is located. From Palm Sunday until Good Friday, religious activities take place mainly in the Plaza de Armas. Arrive early to get the right spot and enjoy symbolic celebrations such as the candlelit procession of Jesus Christ on Good Friday.

Over the next several days, the city turns into an open-air scenario with art exhibitions, local music and food contests where tourists can experience a real cultural immersion with fellow communities, music, food, crafts and off course chicha, the popular drink made of corn.

Easter in Southern Peru: Arequipa

This southern destination welcomes all visitors with a cozy sunny climate and also with one of the most attractive views of the blue sky with the Colca Canyon as a background. For all Easter celebrations, we recommend to visit the nearby Village of Paucarpata where cultural and religious traditions take over the streets.

Arequipa is an important destination not just because of its lovely colonial architecture,  but also because of the colourful streets decorated with local flowers and the abundant food on displaying during Easter. Here is where visitors can indulge themselves with delightful food, local flavors and textures.

Easter in Cusco

People from Cusco have been worshipping the image of the Lord of the Earthquakes (Taytacha Temblores) since 1650 when an oil painting of Jesus on the Cross held off an earthquake that was rattling in the city of Cusco.

Locals believe firmly that image of Christ saved the city from major damage during the earthquake. Since then, the people of Cusco pack the main plaza of the city to honour Jesus carrying his image on Holy Monday.

This event can be the perfect opportunity for all fellow travelers who want to get a glimpse of how syncretic beliefs influence everyday life in the Andes. The iconic image of Jesus Christ is kept in the Cusco Cathedral, in the same spot where the Incas built an ancient temple to worship a pagan god (Apulla Tikse Wira) back in the day.

Another fact about Semana Santa happens during Easter when follower take out the image of the Lord of the Earthquakes in the streets of Cusco adorned with ñucchu flower (salvia esplendes), the same vivid red flower that the Incas used as an offering to the ancient gods Kon and Wiracocha.

More Easter Traditions in Peru: The Capital of Lima

Lima is one of the most emblematic destinations for its architecture and religious art.  Every year Limeños attend the traditional route of the seven churches including the Cathedral Basilica which is the largest church in Peru.

An interesting tradition in Lima is to carry empty bottles and collect holy water from the 7 churches. This tradition involves visiting the San Francisco Monastery and Catacombs, Santo Domingo Convent in the historic center, Nazarenas church, Santa Rosa de Lima church, San Pedro church, and the Basilica Nuestra Señora de la Merced.

Easter in Huaraz

Huaraz is considered a must-visit place in Peru, and the perfect time to get to know this wonderful city and its ancient traditions is at Easter.

On Easter Sunday, two processions take over the streets of Huaraz. The processions start in two different churches and they go on two different routes. The figure of Jesus approaches from one area of the city, while Mary approaches from another direction. Before arriving at the main plaza, the processions meet and devout Catholics celebrate the reunion between Christ and his mother.

Easter in Tarma

This charming town located in the Andes hosts the most photogenic Easter Celebration in Peru. Every Easter people from Tarma deck out the city streets with carpets made of the region’s unique and colourful local flowers. All visitors who attend this Easter celebration can appreciate the talent of creative locals of all ages who decorate the whole processional path with beautiful flowers.

Easter in Trujillo, Cajamarca & Piura

We already talked about Easter celebrations happening in the main cities, but other areas in the north of Peru host parties and religious activities for everybody. In Trujillo for instance, the figure of Jesus on the cross is displayed in the main plazas, and 12 people wearing white clothes remove the nails from the crucified Christ.

By contrast, in Catacaos (a little town close to Piura) believers are all dressed in black showing respect for the death of Jesus. In Cajamarca, a fascinating tradition takes place during the main procession: A dressed-up donkey walks to the central church and on its way, the animal can eat the crops of any field he wants. Locals believe that the lands will be blessed when the donkey passes by.

Traditional Food During Semana Santa in Peru

Peru has a gastronomic reputation worldwide, and the abundant food displayed during Easter pays tribute to that. Here we included some of the most delightful and traditional dishes to taste during Easter in Peru:

• Easter is the time of the year when locals consume lots of fish due to red meat being not permitted. This is also the time when ceviche, the most popular seafood dish, is on every dining table.
• Traditional Chupe de Viernes. On Good Friday it is common to enjoy this dish served with olluco (a root vegetable) accompanied by crayfish and a mixture of vegetables.
• The Last Supper. In honour of Christ’s Last Supper, people in Peru get together for the feast of the 12 dishes (los 12 platos) which does not include any particular menu just six savoury and six sweet dishes.
• Easter Sunday meal. In order to celebrate the resurrection of Christ, festivals and parties come around with a roar. So, Peruvians end the red meat fast with a popular dish called chiriuchu. This unique plate, served cold, includes a variety of meats, including cuy (Guinea pig), fish, meat jerky, corn and eggs.

Experience Holy Week in Peru: Our Travel Tips

If you love immersing yourself in local culture when you visit a new place, planning your trip to Peru around the country’s holidays and festivals is the perfect way to explore thec ountry. You can visit Machu Picchu any day of the year – but there’s only one time of year when you can experience Easter!

Peru, and especially Cusco, has a vibrant calendar of cultural events throughout the year. From religious celebrations and traditional Andean festivals to national holidays and colorful local festivities, there’s almost always something happening. Check out our Peru Cultural Events Calendar to see what’s taking place during your visit.

June is another particularly exciting time to visit Cusco. Known locally as “festival month,” June brings some of the most important celebrations of the year, including the spectacular Qoyllur Rit’i, the “Snow Star Festival,” which is sometimes held in May, and culminates with Inti Raymi, the famous Festival of the Sun and one of the most important celebrations in Cusco.

And the celebrations don’t stop there. If you’re planning to spend Christmas or New Year’s in Peru, we also have guides to help you discover how these holidays are celebrated, from traditional customs and food to local celebrations and festivities. Take a look at our posts about Christmas in Peru and New Year’s in Peru, or explore our guide to festivals in Peru for even more inspiration.

So, anyone planning to visit Cusco? Don’t just think about where you want to go – think about what you want to experience. Choosing your travel dates around a local festival or holiday can add an entirely different dimension to your trip.