Thursday 23 June 2011

Inti Raymi

Inti Raymi

Inti Raymi or the “Festival of the Sun,” falls on June 21 or 22, the date of the southern hemisphere’s winter solstice, the shortest day of the year. Indigenous communities throughout the Andean highland countries of South America celebrate the winter solstice with ceremonies designed to bring the Sun back and shorten the longest night. Incan in origin, Inti Raymi honored the sun as the source of light, heat, and life, and celebrated the start of a new planting season. The name Inti Raymi comes from the Quechua language: inti means “sun” and raymi means “festival.” The largest festival takes place in Cuzco, Peru, the ancient capital of the Incan civilization and empire. In Cuzco, Inti Raymi has grown into a major tourist attraction. Thousands of people visit the city to enjoy the performances by folkloric groups and to watch the theatrical presentation of the Incan ceremony, the focal point of the celebration

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