Holy Week and Easter are coming up in Peru, an important time of the year all over the country. Cusco specifically will fill with both international and national tourists as Holy Thursday and Good Friday are national holidays. In 2024, Holy Week (Semana Santa in Spanish) is from Sunday, March 24th, 2024 until Saturday, March 30th, 2024.
Cusco Easter traditions range from preparing typical dishes to pilgrimages and processions. These are the key dates of Semana Santa in Cusco, Peru:
- Palm Sunday (March 24th, 2024): The festivities start on Palm Sunday. The faithful visit churches throughout the city of Cusco bearing palm leaves woven into crosses, which are blessed according to the traditions of each church.
- Holy Monday (March 25th, 2024): The main day of Holy Week in Cusco is Holy Monday on March 25th this year. Thousands of the devoted participate in a huge procession to accompany the Lord of the Earthquakes (Señor de los Temblores in Spanish; a similar concept to the Lord of Miracles), a massive statue of Jesus and one of the most well-known sculptures in the country. This is the only time of the year when the Lord of the Earthquakes is taken out and carried in a procession through the streets of Cusco.
- Holy Friday (March 29th, 2024): Holy Friday is mainly celebrated in the Plaza San Francisco where followers start the pilgrimage known as the Way of the Cross from the plaza to Sacsayhuaman (a Cusco, Peru must-see site). It’s also customary for families to enjoy 12 traditional dishes for lunch after a period of fasting, representing the 12 apostles.
- Easter Sunday (March 31st, 2024): In Spanish, Easter Sunday is known as the “Resurrection Sunday” as it marks the day of Jesus’ resurrection. This day is the culmination of Holy Week where there is also an Easter procession in the city.
