Happy Andean New Year!

The Inti Raymi or ‘Festival of the Sun’ is celebrated on 24 June every year near the city of Cuzco in Peru, the capital of the ancient Inca empire.   The main event is the reconstruction of the Inti Raymi as a theatrical play in Sacsayhuamán.   Today it marks the Andean New Year. In Inca history, Inti was honoured as a sun-god, considered to be a giver of life, and the celebration was during the winter solstice as a way of worshipping the sun god before the long winter.     The symbol of the Inti god (the sun) can also be seen on the flags of Argentina and Uruguay.

During the times of the Inca Empire, celebrations included lots of drinking, eating and sacrifices. Nowadays, celebrations in Peru don’t include the sacrifices! If you would like to join in the festivities and can’t get over to Peru, then why not celebrate the Andean New Year in Tottenham, North London? The main celebration in the UK for Inti Raymi is at Tottenham’s Carnaval Latino. This year, the Carnaval will be on Saturday 20^th June. Festivities will include, music, dancing, markets, arts and crafts and food from Central and South America.

If you are lucky enough to be travelling to Peru to join in the festivities, learn to speak Spanish and find out more about the Peruvian culture before you go.