What do they do during Inti Raymi?

Inti Raymi is still celebrated in indigenous cultures throughout the Andes. Celebrations involve music, wearing of colorful costumes (most notable the woven aya huma mask), and the sharing of food.

What does the Inti Raymi honor?

The Inti Raymi was a religious ceremony of the Inca Empire in honor of the god (Inti), one of the most venerated deities in Inca Religion. The Inti Raymi Festival has been revived, and is among the most spectacular attractions of Peru. Every June, the city of Cusco prepares for the festival over nine days.

What was the role of Inti?

Inti, also called Apu-punchau, in Inca religion, the sun god; he was believed to be the ancestor of the Incas. Inti was at the head of the state cult, and his worship was imposed throughout the Inca empire. He was usually represented in human form, his face portrayed as a gold disk from which rays and flames extended.

What do people wear on Inti Raymi?

Today Inti Raymi is one of the largest festivals in all of South America. It is celebrated on June 24th of each year and is staged at the ruins of Sacsayhuaman just outside Cusco. Participants wear feathers, scarves, masks and carry spears.

How does Inti Raymi start?

Today, the tradition is maintained as a theatrical representation charged with mysticism and spirituality. The celebration route begins in Coricancha, the ancient religious center of the Inca capital, where with dances and songs an offering is made to the Inti (Sun god).

How long is Inti Raymi celebrated for?

9 days
The Inti Raymi Festival is among one of the most spectacular attractions of Peru today. Every June, the city of Cusco prepares for the festival which is 9 days long. In the last post, we gave you the history of the fantastic Inca celebration of Inti Raymi.

Why was Inti Raymi banned?

The Inti Raymi was prohibited by the Spanish during the first years of the conquest claiming that it was a pagan ceremony and not in compliance with the catholic religion, however, small ceremonies took place without major consequences. Participants of the ceremony were the Sapa Inca, the nobility and the Inca army.

Why was Inti so important?

Inti is the ancient Incan sun god. He is revered as the national patron of the Inca state. Although most consider Inti the sun god, he is more appropriately viewed as a cluster of solar aspects, since the Inca divided his identity according to the stages of the sun.

How long is Inti Raymi celebrated?

Why was the Inti Raymi festival important to the Incas?

Inti Raymi festival also marked the start of the new year for the Incas, so the purpose of the festival was to secure Inti’s blessing for the upcoming year, and to give thanks for the sun’s life-giving heat and light. To understand the importance of Inti, you need only visit Qoricancha (the Temple of the Sun) in Cusco.

What foods are eaten at the Inti Raymi Festival?

Traditional Food Inti Raymi is at it’s roots a celebration of harvest and abundance, so naturally food plays an important role in celebrations. A community Pampamesa (meaning: Food for All) is often prepared. A long strip of fabric or ponchos are laid on the ground, and covered with staple foods of corn, potatoes and pork.

Where does the word inti Raymi come from?

The word Inti Raymi comes from the Quechua language of the Incas, Inti meaning Sun, and Raymi meaning Festival or Celebration. It is a celebration to honor Taita Inti (Father Sun). We thank him for the heat and energy that allows plants to grow, and we welcome a new cycle of life for Pacha Mama (Mother Earth).

Why is Inti Raymi the longest day of the year?

This marks the longest day of the year, when the sun traces it’s longest path through the sky. In Ecuador, Inti Raymi is also known as the Fiesta of San Juan. The Spanish conquistadores considered Inti Raymi to be a heathen celebration. So, to make it more palatable, they merged it with the Christian celebration for Saint John (Juan) the Baptist.