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Carnivals
in Peru - Peruvian Carnival
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Location:
All over Peru.
Date: 2nd half of February-1st week of March
Peruvian
carnivals are marked by the festive character of Andean
areas, which regularly break with their solemn traditions.
Beyond regional variations, a common characteristic of nearly
the entire highland chain is the ritual of the yunza, called
umisha in the jungle and cortamonte on the coast. It involves
artificially planting a tree trunk laden with gifts, around
which the guests dance until it is chopped with a machete
or an ax. The couple who make the final hack that brings
down the tree will then both be in charge of organizing
the yunza next year. Peruvians across the country are extremely
fond of tossing buckets of water at each other during this
festival, so onlookers would be wise to take precautions.
Cities where carnivals reach a high point include Cajamarca
and Puno.
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