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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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