The Festivity of Virgen de la Candelaria takes place in Puno each February and is a time of religious, festive, and cultural activity that draws on the Catholic tradition as well as symbolic elements of the Andean worldview. At the beginning of the month, a daybreak mass is celebrated, followed by an ancient purification ceremony.
Festivities for Virgen de la Candelaria, celebrated in the city of Puno, Peru, draw on religious, festive and cultural elements from the Catholic tradition and Andean culture. It is the third-largest festival in South America.
The festival's history dates back to Spain's Viceroy of Peru in the 16th century. When Catholics emigrated to the area from the Canary Islands, the veneration of the Virgin of Candlemas was first introduced. She became the patron saint of the entire region spanning most of the southern Andes in both Peru and Bolivia.
Virgen de la Candelaria is revered in Puno as a fusion between Catholic traditions and the Indigenous cultures of the region. The festival is now celebrated as a celebration of life and Pachamama (Mother Earth), and also as the protector of Puno. For the residents of Puno, Mamacha (mother) Candelaria is their patroness and protector.
During the siege of Puno by the Indigenous revolutionary army led by Tupac Amaru II in 1781, the Virgin of Candelabria became a beacon of perseverance and faith during the attempted siege of the city. The Spanish colonists of Puno were outnumbered, surrounded, and discouraged, so they brought out the Virgin of Candelabria and walked in procession through the city.
Having been venerated all day and night, the rebels retreat as if in response to the prayers of the people. A daybreak mass is followed by an ancient purification ceremony at the beginning of the month. On the following day, a religious procession with the image of the Virgin carried aloft along the streets is followed by traditional music and dancing.
The festival continues with two contests that draw several thousand dancers and musicians from the surrounding region. They celebrate nine days before the main festival date, February 2, culminating with an early morning mass on February 1. In the afternoon, the ancient ceremony of the annunciation is held, which involves the gathering of bushes (qhapos) and their burning as a manner of purification.
Three regional federations work together to organize the festival and preserve the traditional knowledge and skills associated with dance, music, and mask-making. Younger generations are taught these skills in rehearsals and crafts workshops. The festival ends with a procession of the Virgin, a party, and farewell masses.