One of the festivals of the city of Cusco is Corpus Christi, which remains alive to this day thanks to the blend of religious and historical traditions, and year after year leaves a lasting memory for many domestic and international travelers. Learn more about this tradition.
Table of Contents
This event is understood as the celebration of the Body of Christ in the Eucharist. The festival begins with a Mass in the presence of all the saints and usually ends at nightfall, to the rhythm of music and dances.
This festival dates back to the time of the Incas, when the mallquis (mummified bodies of the Incas) were honored. Each year, the people held processions through the city as part of a cult honoring the deceased. These processions ended in massive gatherings where ceremonial banquets were served, with abundant food and the traditional aqha, now known as white chicha, consumed as an act of reverence to their deities.
With the arrival of the Spanish, this tradition underwent a change due to the introduction of Catholicism and their religion, since they believed that carrying out these acts dishonored their culture and religion.
The religious authorities of that time decided to put an end to this tradition, which they considered “pagan,” forcing the revered remains to be replaced by images of the Virgin and several Catholic saints. This is how, in Cusco, this tradition began, and today it still endures and is already part of Andean culture.
There are some events connected to this celebration, such as the earthquake of May 21, 1950, in the city of Cusco. During that time, there were difficulties carrying out the procession of the saints because the families affected by the earthquake were taking shelter in the square. Despite the situation, the route was adjusted so the procession could take place normally.
Another important event was the death of Archbishop Luis Vallejos in 1982. The ecclesiastical hierarchy ordered the procession that year to be suspended; however, the mayordomos rejected the proposal. The procession took place as usual, but with some changes reflecting the mourning that was being experienced at that time.
Many people from Cusco and visitors eagerly await this season to witness the procession. In the city of Cusco, you will find some activities regulated by the lunar calendar, including “Holy Week,” the festival of Señor de Quyllurit'i, and the Corpus Christi procession.
The festival begins on Wednesday, one day before the main procession, with each saint leaving his temple. Each saint is accompanied by a procession that includes the mayordomos or “carguyoq,” in some cases the district mayor, a band of musicians or “q'aperos,” and especially the faithful who voluntarily decide to accompany their saint.
All the images participating in this great procession gather in front of the temple of Santa Clara, then begin their way to the Cathedral in Cusco’s Plaza Mayor; it is said that the images must arrive at a specific time and in the traditional order.
The statues of the saints are taken to the Cathedral and remain inside until the following day, which is the main day of the procession. According to popular belief, gatherings take place among all the parish images during the nights they remain in the cathedral.
The main day of this festival is a time of great activity for the mayordomos, since they are responsible for ensuring that the celebration unfolds according to tradition and the expectations of the faithful devoted to each religious image. A clear example is the clothing of each image, because every year it must appear in its finest garments for this festival, which draws thousands of people from different parts of the city of Cusco.
The people in charge bring out their saint or virgin from the Cathedral Basilica and the procession begins. The Plaza Mayor fills with many devotees and people from different places.
The order in which the saints come out is as follows:
The mayordomos hand out gifts to attendees during the procession, distributing items such as postcards, souvenirs, and more. The procession ends at approximately 5:00 p.m., after all the saints return to the Cathedral, where they remain until the following Thursday, when the faithful, the mayordomos, the mayor, and other people take their saints back to the temple they came from.
The traditional dish of this festival is known for being cold and spicy. It is a mix of 10 ingredients such as roasted guinea pig, cau cau (fish roe), boiled hen, cecina (dried meat), cochayuyo (seaweed), chorizo, toasted white corn, cheese, sliced rocoto, and the torreja, which has a fluffy texture and is prepared with a combination of ingredients such as corn, squash, and a little hen broth to give it a distinctive flavor when served.
According to some accounts, its creation is said to date back to Inca times, specifically to the aynis, a system of family reciprocity labor, since at the end of the daily workday, the best from each household was shared, forming a mixture of foods from different sectors and creating a delicious banquet.
This dish represents Inca culture because it was offered to the Sun god, a warm being; for that reason, it had to be eaten cold, and coincidentally its Quechua name comes from this: chiri = cold, and uchu = food; if we interpret it in English, it would mean “cold food.”
Happy passengers
