The festival of San Juan in Perú is the most important and overflowing celebration of the peoples of the Peruvian Amazon. From Loreto to Madre de Dios, including Amazonas, San Martín and Ucayali; In addition to the jungle provinces of Huánuco, Pasco and Junín, the festive atmosphere is contagious.
In June the Peruvian jungle fills with joy, music and color for the festival of San Juan in Perú, where the birth of San Juan Bautista (the saint who baptized Jesus in the Jordan River) is commemorated, so the population goes to the main rivers and lagoons to participate in the «blessed bath».
Although the festivity takes place throughout the jungle, here we take you on a festive route through some of the towns where overflow and hubbub are guaranteed. And where you will feel very comfortable dancing and jumping without stopping.
Origin:
The origins of this devotion go back to the times when the Spanish missionaries arrived in the Amazon designated San Juan Bautista as Patron Saint, so its recognition and admiration grew as time passed and it became official at the beginning of the century. XX. Likewise, the date is reinforced by representing the beginning of the winter solstice, causing bonfires to be lit in different places in commemoration of the beginning of this season.
This devotion of the communities of the Peruvian jungle to San Juan originates from colonial times. Missionaries who arrived in the jungle designated San Juan Bautista as the Patron Saint of the Peruvian Amazon and the relationship that this biblical character has with water made it reach a great symbolic character in the jungle due to the importance of this element.
What will we see at the festival of San Juan in Perú?
Characterized by its striking context, the Fiesta de San Juan unites gastronomy, religiosity, history, culture and folklore, expressed under the same motive and differentiated depending on the location of each Amazonian town.
For example, in Tingo María, Huánuco, people take the opportunity to visit their natural landscapes, including the Santa Carmen waterfall and Tingo beach, on the banks of the Huallaga river. It also organizes festivals of prints and choreographic proposals where they show the best of their dances and customs.
For Monday 24, the central day of the festival, mass will be held in the Santa Teresita del Niño Jesús church, after which the great procession and gang will begin in honor of San Juan Bautista in the province of Leoncio Prado.
In Moyobamba, San Martín, and motivated by the identity of their land, a few years ago thousands of people danced non-stop the dance of the gang, considered the largest dance marathon in the Peruvian jungle.
Likewise, Tocache, San Martín, is characterized by its typical music known as the bombobaile, for the fusion of instruments between bass drums, drums, quenas and clarinets that accompany the gang as they dance through the main streets of the city.
In Tarapoto and other towns in San Martín, such as Lamas, Chazuta, Shapaja, Juan Guerra, San Antonio de Cumbaza, Morales and Cacatacha, activities are prepared for the feast of San Juan.
In Ucayali various activities are also prepared such as gastronomic contests and a parade. The Festival coincides with the anniversary of the creation of the region. On June 24, the central day of the festival, the population will visit the lagoons and restingas to perform the traditional «blessed bath», after which the great popular festival will take place at the fairground of Yarinacocha.
Meanwhile, in Loreto, due to the large influx of tourists expected in these celebrations, the authorities have prepared a great reception for visitors who arrive in Iquitos where they will be given all the information on the feast of San Juan. There will also be a festival for San Juan and the traditional music and dance contest typical of the Peruvian Amazon.
What typical dishes will be enjoyed at the festival of San Juan in Perú?
El juane, symbol dish
Definitely, the main dish and symbol of this date is the popular juane, a mixture of rice, boiled eggs, chicken and spices wrapped in a bijao leaf, which symbolizes the head of San Juan Bautista.
It is normal to see different housewives on June 23 getting up at dawn to attend the market in search of supplies to prepare the emblematic meal.
That same day (or the next) the inhabitants usually go to the rivers to bathe and «purify» themselves. The belief that Saint John blesses all streams dates back to Biblical times when John the Baptist baptized Jesus in the Jordan River.
During the central day it is customary to have many people gathered in the streets celebrating between masses and processions, which are accompanied by typical bands. Subsequently, the gang dance is performed where people dance around a palm tree laden with gifts, known as the «humisha».
During the central day it is customary to have many people gathered in the streets celebrating between masses and processions, which are accompanied by typical bands. Subsequently, the gang dance is performed where people dance around a palm tree laden with gifts, known as the «humisha».
The custom of jumping over a campfire is also well known, known as the Shunto Jump, which represents the purification of the soul through fire.
Dances, exhibitions, musical presentations, photography contests, election of beauty queens, craft and culinary fairs, and more activities take place during these holidays; also, almost all regions coordinate in planning their tourist weeks on these dates.
Where to experience the festival of San Juan in Perú
Puerto Maldonado
From the outset you will only find yourself when you arrive in this region with the Typical Dishes Contest and the Gastronomic Fair that the city organizes at the Jorge Basadre Grohman Higher Education Institute from very early on. As the day progresses, you cannot miss the Corso Allegorico for the Day of the Jungle – Feast of San Juan, organized by the Tambopata agroecotourism operators association through the main avenues of the city.
Here the juane dresses up to be tasted by all visitors and the blessed bath is done on the banks of the Tambopata River. The celebration takes over the streets throughout the day.
Loreto
All the activities are aimed at celebrating it in a big way. The days before the IX Green Book and Reading Festival is held in the auditorium of the San Juan artisan market. There will also be held the Exhibition of Plastic Arts and XLIII Feria Artesanal Folclórica San Juan 2018.
For those who are looking for the flavor of the jungle, they can find a wide variety of inputs at the San Juan Productivo Agricultural Fair, in the “José Abelardo Quiñones” Communal Market.
Not to be missed is the 2nd Costumbrista Parade “Sowing Seeds”, in the Plaza de la Cultura “José Abelardo Quiñones and the contest of the “Señorita Comunidad Campesina”. The night will be propitious to begin to sing with the previous festivities with the various tropical orchestras that will also perform in this square. In addition to being encouraged to sing dance steps with the Retretas in charge of the Armed Forces.
If you want to join the activities of the locals, you can participate in the preparation of chicha in the Parish of San Juan Bautista de Miraflores. Or sign up as a front row spectator at the chainsaw and ax competition in the towns of Santa Clara, Santo Tomás, Ninarumi, Cahuide and the grand finale at the Artisan Market on June 23.
On the same June 24, the symbolic purification for the celebrations of the Patronal Feast of San Juan Bautista is in the Santa Clara de Nanay Winter Beach. To that must be added the catwalk contest of Mr. Gallo and Mrs. Gallina. And to close a Solemn Mass. in the Parish of San Juan Bautista de Miraflores.
Huánuco
If you arrive in Huánuco for the Fiesta de San Juan, the first thing to greet you will be the Cafetea y Chocolatea Tingalés event and if you are lucky you will try one of the 1000 free cups of coffee that are distributed in the Plaza de Tingo María.
After that, you have to delight your eyes with the beautiful Tingales women during the election and coronation of Señorita San Juan, and you also have to save a little space in your stomach to savor the richest Juane, a contest organized by the city council on the occasion of these holidays.
The parade of floats and parades through the streets of the province of Leoncio Prado, and the bonfire of the Tulumayos during the «III Festival of Tingalesas Choreographic Prints and Proposals» at Tingo Beach is a must.
Ucayali
The festival of San Juan in this region is enlivened with a humorous contest of «Dockers’ race» in the Plaza de Armas in Pucallpa. Another hilarious foray is the «banana peeling» contest in the same square. To sink your teeth into the delicacies of eastern Peru, you have to head for the Gastronomic and Artisan Festival at the Las Palmeras del Oriente playground.
These events are joined by the ceramic and textile painting contest, a bit of urban rhythms in the Break Dance contest in Yarinacocha square. And the choice of Miss Soi Noima at the Open Plaza shopping center.
But that is not all. Other activities previously await before the main day such as the sport fishing championship in the Cashibococha lagoon, the night of San Juan in which there is a great display of fireworks and the «blessed bath» in the spas, for the belief that the waters are blessed by Saint John the Baptist. Juanes and corn chicha are consumed.
San Martin
In Moyobamba, handicraft fairs and traditional game competitions await at the Ayaymama fairground. In addition to being fit with all the festive bustle, the San Juan Marathon, recreational cycling has been organized in addition to the classic Juane and Mishquina Gastronomic Festival.
At dawn on the 24th, Moyobamba becomes a party. From very early on, the Moyobambino settlers leave their houses and at the rhythm of a gang they go to the thermal baths of Cerro San Mateo. There they go en masse to purify themselves through the «blessed bath», since it is believed that on these dates the patron Saint John the Baptist blesses the water course. After this traditional activity, they taste the delicious juane accompanied by corn chicha or masato and the gang contest begins, which by the way last year reached a Guinness record. The main square becomes a celebratory epicenter where more than one will rehearse dance steps and will be encouraged to «gang»
Useful data
Although the festival of San Juan takes place in almost the entire Peruvian Amazon, the most important tourist centers are Iquitos, Pucallpa and Tarapoto. From Lima, you can get to Iquitos by air in about an hour and a half by flight.
You can also travel to Pucallpa by plane by direct flight or by land through the Central Highway, although the journey is long (approximately 23 hours of travel). Tarapoto is also accessible by both routes. The climate of the Amazon is tropical, hot and humid, so it is recommended to wear light, waterproof and repellent clothing.
Touring Peru is discovering endless mysterious places, with hidden stories in corners that you may have never seen before stepping on this country. We recommend you to visit another impressive destinations in Cusco like the tour to rainbow mountain peru or the humantay lake tour from cusco, which only takes one day. But if you are gonna to stay more days in Perú, other archaeological places you can know will be the choquequirao trek peru, the salkantay trek to machu picchu, and the classic inca trail 4 days 3 nights.
