THE 5 MOST IMPORTANT CUSTOMS AND TRADITIONS OF CHICLAYO - CULTURE VOCABULARY - 2025

The main customs and traditions of Chiclayo are the feast of the Lord of Miracles, the anniversary of the creation of the province of Chiclayo, the Velaciones, the International Festival of King Kong and cockfights.

Most of the traditions and customs of this city and province, located in the department of Lambayaque in northern Peru, are festive-religious and cultural-gastronomic.

Other popular customs and traditions of Chiclayo are the Monsefú Typical-Cultural Exhibition Fair, the Festival of the Immaculate Virgin and the Muchik Identity Week.

The 5 main customs of Chiclayo

1- Festivity of the Lord of Miracles

It is the most popular religious festival in Chiclayo. This tradition was born in Lima in 1651, after a group of slaves formed a brotherhood and painted an image of Christ on a wall in the Pachacamilla neighborhood, with the intention of reverence it.

Later this religious festival spread throughout Peru. In Chiclayo it is celebrated during most of October, with a series of Catholic processions and rituals organized by the congregation and directed by the Brotherhood of the Lord of Miracles.

The faithful believers ask for miracles in the image of Christ with prayers, songs and penances, wearing traditional Catholic costumes amid a great atmosphere of solemnity and collective faith.

The miraculous image that comes out of the Chiclayo cathedral is carried on a walk throughout the city.

2- Anniversary of the creation of the province of Chiclayo

This solemn festival takes place on April 18 of each year to celebrate another anniversary of the founding of the province of Chiclayo, one of the most important in the department of Lambayaque in Peru.

Civic and protocol activities and a series of cultural, social, sporting and gastronomic events are organized to celebrate the important anniversary.

Chiclayo is one of the three provinces that make up the department of Lambayaque and was created on April 18, 1835.

3- The Velaciones in Chiclayo

This deep-rooted custom in the Lambayaque region takes place on the first day of November each year on the occasion of All Saints' Day.

From different areas of the department, people flock during the day and at night to the cemeteries of Chiclayo and other towns such as Olmos, Insulares and Ñaupe.

Once there, they "crown" their deceased relatives, placing bouquets and wreaths on the graves that are lit with candles and tapers. They also recall aloud the virtues in life of the deceased.

4- International King Kong Festival

King Kong is a popular sweet in this Peruvian region, consisting of a large alfajor made with wheat flour cookies, eggs, butter and milk, and is filled with peanut candy, white manjar and pineapple candy.

During the celebration of this popular gastronomic fair in the city of Chiclayo, large samples of this typical sweet are made, which is part of the regional gastronomic heritage.

The tradition of making these gigantic cookies emerged in the 30s, when the famous movie King Kong was presented in the city of Lambayaque.

People compared the huge cookies to the gigantic gorilla in the movie; Since then, competitions to prepare this traditional sweet began to be held.

5- Cockfight

Cockfighting is a tradition in several Latin American countries. In Chiclayo it is also a very popular custom that entertains its inhabitants.

In the city there are galleras or rooster coliseums, where international concentrations are held. During cockfighting bets are made for hundreds and even millions of soles.

References

1. Chiclayo: The Preservation of Tradition. Consulted of enperublog.com
2. Chiclayo customs. Consulted of actualviajes.com
3. Chiclayo Peru. Consulted of peru-explorer.com
4. Chiclayo City of Friendship. Consulted from web.archive.org
5. Zapata Acha, Sergio (2006). Dictionary of traditional Peruvian gastronomy Lima, Peru. San Martín de Porres University.
6. Tribute to the Lord of Miracles. Consulted of sanagustinchiclayo.edu.pe
7. History of the Lord of Miracles. Consulted of radioevangelizacion.org