Solstice in the Andes

For many years every December, around the world we celebrate Christmas and the arrival of the New Year, but have we ever wondered why we do it or what was done before celebrating these dates. We are pleased to invite you to learn how Christmas is celebrated in the Andes and how the December Solstice was celebrated before the arrival of the Spaniards.

It is known that Christmas festivities were promoted to spread the Catholic Faith and progressively replace pagan festivities. Then in the occupation of South America they were an indoctrination tool for native peoples to abandon their customs, despite this, after the passing of the years, these festivals and celebrations are still treasured by a few.
Keep in mind that the Andean worldview revolves around the Sun not only as a religious expression but also as an expression of the creative power of the Inti. Therefore, the year was marked by 4 dates according to the position of the sun, the Incas stood out for their extensive and deep knowledge about the movement of the Astros and these celebrations were marked by the equinoxes and solstices, also indicates the time to begin sowing and harvesting of corn.

The December solstice opens the weeding (cleaning) campaign in the soils, taking into account planting in the September equinox the plants should have already germinated and grown, now they are only sprouts. In the Andean culture there are times of rebirth and it is this time that the youth finds a path of convergence with the festivities currently celebrated as Christmas and New Year. In these celebrations the young adolescents received their gifts that consist of their first outfits and tools that would serve to work and excel in life.
As we have seen December even before the conquest it was always a renewal party and the young people were the protagonists of these parties.