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In the jungle, Saint John the Baptist has taken on a major
symbolic significance because of the importance of water as
a vital element in the entire Amazon region. This is why June
24 (St. John's the Baptist's day) is the most important date
on the festival calendar in the entire Peruvian jungle.
The northeastern city of Iquitos hosts a variety of festivals
and public events: fiestas with typical local bands where
cooks dish up some of the regional cuisine, featuring tacacho
(baked banana) and juanes (rice pastries), named after the
patron saint, San Juan Bautista. This carnival atmosphere,
redolent with the warmth of the local hospitality, has given
rise to the myth of a special sensuality to be found in Loreto.
It is widely held that the best aphrodisiacs are concocted
in Iquitos, potions blended from fruits and herbs steeped
in sugarcane alcohol, with strange and suggestive names. The
best-known is without a doubt the chuchuhuasi, fermented from
a local root. In the highlands, the festival is also linked
to the concept of fertility, but here the main theme is livestock,
something that is easily associated with the image of Saint
John as the pastor of souls. On this day, livestock are counted
and branded, and llamas are sometimes even the object of prayer.
In Cuzco, where peasant farmers used to bring their richly
decorated sheep to Mass, the tradition has been shifted to
June 25, yielding to Inti Raymi. |
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