Feria Santuranticuy in Cusco, Peru every December 24th has become one of the largest craft fairs in South America.
Feria Santuranticuy, or simply Santuranticuy takes place every year on December 24th in Cusco, Peru’s Plaza de Armas, the main square of the Andean city and capital of the Inca civilization.
The square becomes a center of Christmas crafts and one of the biggest holiday craft fairs in South America. Villagers trek from miles and miles away, from deep in the mountains to sell images of the baby Jesus, Virgin Mary, Joseph, the three kings, animals, etc. Venders sell clothing, ceramics, and other souvenirs as well.
Although most tourists stick to the fare in the hundreds of restaurants in the few blocks around the square, the day is one of the best times of the year to try traditional Andean recipes that you won’t find in any of Cusco’s more tourist driven restaurants. Street vendors sell a traditional hot and sweet rum punch called ponche, cuy, anticuchos, and others.
Santuranticuy is a Quechua word meaning the sale of saints, as many of the small statues being sold are of saints or of baby Jesus, or nacimientos, to help decorate nativity scenes. The Andean version of the baby Jesus, Niño Manuelito, can also be found.
This is also a good place to buy Retablo boxes from the town of Quinua near Ayacucho, as many of the craftsmen there haul their goods to Cusco this week. The boxes feature nativity scenes and scenes of daily Andean life. Most are no bigger than a showbox, however, they can be as large as several meters in height. You can buy the boxes anytime in Cusco or Quinua, however the selection at this time of year is quite good.
At midnight, a huge fireworks display is set off to the cheers of all surrounding the square, from vendors to tourist alike. If you are planning on visiting Cusco during Santuranticuy, book well in advance.
