Inti Raymi in Peru 2023: Date, History, Facts, Activities

Inti Raymi, also known as the Festival of the Sun, is an annual religious celebration celebrated in Peru on June 24 in honour of Inti, the Incan Sun God. Inti Raymi is a celebration of the winter solstice and the beginning of the Incan New Year. It is conducted primarily in Cusco. The commemoration, which is arguably the most significant holiday for the Incan Empire, features a variety of cultural events throughout the city to honour their Incan ancestors.

The background of Inti Raymi

Pachacuti, believed to have ruled between 1412 and 1430, instituted the Inti Raymi as a festival to commemorate the winter solstice — the day when the sun is farthest from the Earth — and to honour the ancestors. The last time the Incas celebrated Inti Raymi as an independent empire was in 1535, before the Spanish conquest. Mystical and spiritually-charged cultural and theatrical performances continue the tradition of the festival’s celebration today. Traditionally, celebrants dance and chant while making offerings to Inti, the sun god.

The most important celebrations are conducted in Cusco, Peru. Residents dressed in traditional Incan attire descend upon the Temple of the Sun and the Plaza de Armas in Cusco as part of a multi-act historical reconstruction ritual. Spectators assume specific responsibilities in the theatrical performance. The ritual concludes with a four-hour prayer at the “Sacsayhuaman Fortress.” The vows are spoken in the traditional Quechua language, and a sacrifice is simulated so that a shaman can predict the future.

During the Spanish Conquest, viceroy Francisco de Toledo banned Inti Raymi festivities because they were associated with primitivism, paganism, and were in opposition to the Catholic faith. With the assistance of Peruvian actor and author Faustino Espinoza Navarro, it was revived in 1944. Navarro’s fascination with the custom compelled him to advocate for its recognition as an essential national holiday.

Due to its proximity to St. John’s Day, Inti Raymi has been celebrated concurrently with the Catholic holiday and also draws thousands of tourists to Cusco each year. The indigenous Andean populations of South America routinely offer sacrifices to the Sun God on June 24. Despite the fact that the main celebrations take place in Cusco, it is not exclusive to the city. This comprises residents of Colombia, Ecuador, Bolivia, Chile, and northern Argentina.

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INTI RAYMI ACTIVITIES

Donate provisions to others

Important Inti Raymi festivities include the sharing of sustenance. To commemorate the festival, prepare meals for your family and neighbours as a means to celebrate community and cultural cohesion.

Wear the traditional Inti Raymi colours.

Wear the traditional Inti Raymi attire in honour of the celebration. The wearing of vibrant costumes and the woven ‘aya huma’ headgear is essential to the festivities.

Observe the historical reconstruction ceremony

If you are in Cusco during Inti Raymi, you can witness the locals’ historical recreation of the original Inti Raymi ritual. It is widely recognised as a magnificent theatrical performance that illuminates Incan spirituality and its origins.

5 fascinating facts about the Incas.

Instead of using a fixed currency, the Incas preferred to trade goods and services.

The Incas constructed a road network spanning 25,000 miles.

They communicated chiefly through a complex visual language known as ‘Khipu.’

Due to its high elevation, which rendered it generally invisible from below, the Incan city of Machu Picchu was able to evade capture by the Spanish.

It is believed that the Incas were the first civilization in the region to cultivate potatoes.

INTI RAYMI DATES