Amy Jeppson

Hurricane, UT
Senior, Anthropology
The University of Utah

The Festival of San Pedro in Huanchaco, Peru

INTRODUCTION

Huanchaco, Peru, is a (relatively) small coastal town in Northern Peru. The town is eight miles north of Trujillo, one of PeruÕs major cities, and only a few miles from the ancient Chimu civilization ruins of Chan Chan. The tranquil city is populated with approximately 40,000 people. Upon visiting, tourists to the region, like myself, quickly become familiar with Avenida la Ribera, the long road that runs parallel to the ocean shore and which is completely commercial; full of restaurants, hostals, and surfboard rental shops. Just less than two blocks behind many of these shops, however, one can find the homes of families who have been in the area for ages. "Huamanchumos" and "Piminchumos," surnames dating back to Chimu times, raise their families and make their homes there.

For centuries (as long as there have been Huamanchumos), the areaÕs economy has been based on fishing. Here, reed boats, called caballitos de totora, exemplify the antiquity of the region. Recently, though, as a result of the growth of tourism and the decline of good fish harvests, the fishing industry has been fading. When new economic strategies enter a region, much of the local history is at risk of being lost. However, though HuanchacoÕs economic base has undergone much change, many traditions stemming from an economy based on fishing still remain a part of the local community. One such tradition is the local festival of San Pedro. My project for analysis evolved from what the limited understanding I had of this festival and my curiosity in local folkloric traditions. I wondered why this festival was held Ð what the history behind it was, who it involved and why, and what the importance of it was to the local community.

BACKGROUND

Though I had originally planned on doing another project, as the festival was approaching I realized that I knew nothing about its meaning. I knew that the festival involved not only Catholicism, which subsequently involves most of the local community in the event, but the local fishermen as well.

During my studies at the University of Utah, I learned about the cultural celebrations of two important festivals in Peru: the festival of Corpus Christi and the celebration of Inti Raymi, both held yearly in Cusco. Both festivals are important to the culture of the region, although have distinct ideologies. For example, the festival of Inti Raymi, which began in the mid-20th century and was created by a journalist who hoped to promote the idea of the "pure Indian race," (as opposed to those of Spanish descent), forms national identity while promoting tourism. Corpus Christi, held in Cusco every year is, superficially, a religious celebration; however, syncretism demonstrated through festival, which incorporates mostly catholic ideals with a previously pagan community, demonstrates religion, politics, and social structure. Going into my investigation, my intention was not to compare these celebrations to the Festival of San Pedro, but to use my knowledge of them as a base for understanding the dynamics present in the Festival.

METHODS

I conducted my research through methods of participant observation and ethnographic interviews. Most of my informants for interviews were members of the fishermenÕs association, or family members of the members of the fishermenÕs association -- the group in charge of planning the yearly activities for the Festival of San Pedro. The majority of my interviews were formal, where a translator and tape recorder were both present to assist me with the Spanish language. I was able to do both question and answer sessions with people, however, many times the people I interviewed had free reign over which information they wished to share. Since the festival was held during my stay, I was able to be a participant observer. From the beginning of the festival with the preparation of the patacho, a grand reed boat used now only for festivities and mainly for the Festival of San Pedro, to the pasacalle, a "folkloric" parade held during the festival, to the procession of the saint onto the water, I was able to witness and participate in many of the activities. What is written below is the information I gathered through the above methods.

DISCUSSION

In Catholicism, particular saints, or Holy people who lived extraordinary lives, are connected to certain events or life situations. The saints, also called patrons, are believed to intercede to God on behalf of the believers. In Peru, where, in 2000, 90% of the population reported Catholicism as being their faith, saints and patrons are present and recognized everywhere. Each saint the Catholic Church honors is believed to have responded to God's invitation to use his or her unique gifts, and for each of these saints a day is designated in their honor. In Huanchaco, Peru, one such saint of importance is San Pedro, or Saint Peter, the patron saint of fishing (see Matthew 4:18, John 21: 3-10).

Because for centuries fishing has been such an important factor of subsistence in Huanchaco, San Pedro is petitioned yearly for better fish harvests and better luck in the following year. The townÕs Festival of San Pedro is held every June 29th. The patronÕs day of celebration offers a time for the fishermen of the region to honor their patron saint and ask God, through the saint, for luck. It also offers a community-wide celebration in which I was able to participate. Below I have divided activities during the Festival of San Pedro into sections for discussion

The Preparation of the Patacho

The first activity I was able to see as part of my experience with the Festival of San Pedro was the yearly preparation of the patacho. The patacho is a reed boat constructed for the procession, on which the patron rides. For the past six years the present design of patacho, first suggested by a man named Agustin Piminchumo, has been used (previously, alternative designs similar to rafts and at times made of balsa wood were used). The boat, made of totora reeds, is approximately 25 feet long and 4 feet wide. The thin totora reeds are taken by the handful and grouped with ropes. These sections are then grouped with other sections to construct the boat. In the patacho are a few seats, much similar to a canoe, and in the center is a platform and a tall bamboo shoot. The patron is placed on the platform and tied to the bamboo shoot for support during the procession of the patacho.

When I arrived for the preparation of the patacho at the fire station Ð a large garage-like room that held only the boat Ð 15 or so members of the local Asociacion de Pescadores Artesenales, or fishermenÕs association, were present. A few of them were cleaning the boat, ridding the inside of dry reeds and dust that had accumulated from the year before. This year, rather than constructing a new boat, as they are only made every other year, the men were preparing the old patacho for a coat of paint. The day that I went to watch the preparation, the boat was supposed to be painted yellow, however, no one had yet purchased the paint and the process was put on hold until the day prior to the festival.

A source informed me that the paint had not yet been purchased because it could not be afforded. At times, the Festival of San Pedro is sponsored, as it was this year by Pilsen Trujillo, but the funds from the sponsor hardly cover the entire need for the festival. In my discussions with the fishermen, some claimed that it was the fault of the previous yearÕs fishermenÕs association president that this yearÕs festival lacked funds. However, funding the festival is always an undertaking. One reason a new patacho is not constructed yearly is because doing so is quite expensive, ranging from 2,000 to 5,000 soles (approximately 600 to 1500 USD) for materials and labor. Some of my informants stated that before the patacho was used, when boats were unavailable, the saint was on procession only through the streets of Huanchaco.

The Pasacalle

A few days before the festival began, I received a copy of the festival program. The itinerary, which discussed the activities of the day of the 29th, as well as the four days prior, was loaded with various activities. I knew it wasnÕt feasible for me to participate in all of the activities, so I selected a few of which I had been told were most important for my research. One of the first activities I attended was the pasacalle, a "folkloric" parade down Avenida la Ribera, which was to be held the evening of the 28th. Although the parade was billed as representing local traditions and folklore, I had the opportunity to see many of the costumes that were to be worn during this festival a week earlier, when the woman who was organizing the parade offered our group first choice. Many of the costumes were of bright synthetic fabric, and of no apparent shared theme. They ranged from a pumpkin, to a painter, to a big purple bird.

The pasacalle was scheduled to begin at 7:00pm the evening of the 28th, but this schedule only meant that the people in the parade would begin showing up at this designated time. Avenida la Ribera remained in full service, as a few taxis and buses continued down the road. The groups of costumed people had gathered informally behind a banner that read "Taller de Arte Suchyman." When I first arrived, there were a few children hanging out on the steps at a closed restaurant. I was amused by their costumes, which were half American-Indian, half Inka motif, and included three foot high stilts. As I continued to observe, a troop of small children with masks fashioned from cardboard boxes marched past. There were a few adults and our large group of gringos, and others filtered in as the time went on. A quarter of an hour after the line for the parade had started forming, drums started beating , which were coming from the opposite end of the street. By now quite a few people were ready to procession themselves, as there were bystanders sitting on the wall ready to view the festivities. The regular vendors of chiclets and nuts were present, however, for this activity, a man selling pink cotton candy added a bonus.

At 8:00 horns and drums started from the street perpendicular to where the parade was forming on Avenida la Ribera. This was the fishermenÕs association along with a small band, all of whom were dressed in dark clothing, and all with solemn faces. They came and positioned themselves about 15 feet in front of the rest of the "paraders," and, after a moment of standing around, and without any formal proclamation of what was going to happen, began marching. The others followed and for the next 20 minutes or so, the two separate groups paraded themselves down the street which, by now, had drawn a large crowd of about 200 people.

The pasacalle, organized by the Taller de Arte Suchyman is a very recent addition to the Festival of San Pedro, having begun only two years ago. Most of the pasacalle participators were children, and most of the viewers were locals and family members. The group had no apparent affiliation with the religious theme of the Festival, and the only incorporation of the fishermenÕs association was the few who came with the band and marched ahead of the rest of the parade. However, the event gave good reason to involve the entire community with the Festival of San Pedro.

Farolitos

During the pasacalle, I became distracted by many of the other fishermen who were down on the shore with their caballitos. Here, the ten or so fishermen, who, by this time were in high spirits as a result of the chicha or other alcoholic beverages they had been drinking, were preparing to show off their farolitos, small lantern-like figurines assembled from bamboo and colored plastic, which hold a candle inside for illumination. The farolito designs ranged from a Barbie house, to Spongebob Squarepants, to a chicken or an airplane. Each ranged from about one to two square feet in size. After the pasacalle had ended, the fishermen began to row out into the ocean with the farolitos faintly illuminating the dark sea, an impressing sight.

Each year during the festival, some of the fishermen construct the farolitos, though none of the individuals I asked could give me an explanation why. As I later learned, and as legend has it, before there was light in Huanchaco, farolitos, or "little lights" would appear off in the horizon or out at sea, and no one knew exactly what they were. When electricity came to Huanchaco, the farolitos showed up less frequently. Eventually the farolitos disappeared. Because the lights hold a strong legend for the community, the creations of the fishermen help reflect on this important legend.

The Procession of the Saint and the Patacho

The most important activity of the festival, the procession of the saint, took place the following day. At 10:00 that morning, a mass in honor of the patron and for the fishermen was held. Generally, the patron is set behind the pulpit at the church, however, on the day of the procession, the patron is removed from its usual place and set upon the anda, or litter, to the (congregationÕs) right. The three-foot high patron is adorn with flowers and candles, and this year was in a red miter and cloak.

The church was almost full when I arrived, and I had noticed that some of the fishermen were standing in the back. Others were dispersed through the congregation. The mass lasted an hour and a half, and when it was finished, community members walked with the fishermen who carried the patron on the litter down to the shore.

At around noon the festivities began down by the beach with the patacho, caballitos, fishermen, and hoards of bystanders. This was by far the largest turnout of people I have seen at any event in Huanchaco, with probably nearly 500 viewers and participators. Most were lined up along the malec—n, the sidewalk running parallel to the beach, and others, like myself, trickled down to the shore to get closer to the action. There were quite a few cameras, and two or three film crews hovering around the fishermen and the patacho. Dogs and children ran along the beach as heavy waves pushed the ocean water up to the rocks. Most of the fishermen, almost all wearing Pilsen Trujillo t-shirts, were standing near or even on the patacho. Every time a wave came close enough to cover the knees, or even ankles, of the people on the shore, a fisherman would yell at the top of his voice that waves were coming. By the way he yelled, one would think a shark was lurking in the water, ready to attack.

The president of the fishermenÕs association was present during all of the activities. However, was dressed in a suit and not the Pilsen Trujillo shirt the other fishermen were wearing. For much of the activities he stood near the patron, which had been set directly behind the patacho before being put inside of it. The president stood watching and advising a group of five fishermen who were untying the saint and transporting it to the patacho.

The fishermen loaded the figure of San Pedro on to the patacho, placing it on the bench in the middle of the boat. They then secured it with rope to the bamboo shoot. The cloak the patron had been wearing was removed, however, the figure was still dressed in a red-velvet outfit which had gold designs running throughout it. To the left hand of San Pedro, a fisherman slipped on a silver bracelet with two fish, one twice the size of the other, and a key dangling from it.

As the patacho was being prepared to go out onto the water, approximately ten fishermen were playing on their caballitos Ð showing off their rowing and caballito-surfing skills to the large audience watching. At close to 12:30 the fishermen, a few children, and Chad began to pull the patacho toward the ocean. The process took nearly five minutes, as heavy waves repeatedly pushed the patacho back toward the shore. Eventually, the group had pulled the boat far enough that it was afloat, and at that moment, one of the men pulling screamed loudly, "Mœsica!," cuing the band to begin.

On the boat rode the mayor and his wife, the priest, the president of the fishermenÕs association, and five other men. The other fishermen with the caballitos rode alongside the patacho as it proceeded toward the end of the pier. Fireworks were going off, and among the great group of people who were watching, many were cheering. The rowers of the patacho stopped when the boat had arrived at the pier. There, the priest blessed the water. At about 12:50, the fishermen returned to the shore to more fireworks and clapping, and ten minutes later, the boat was pulled back in by the same group who had pushed it out, and the patron was placed back on the litter.

This year, the group who rode out on the patacho was smaller than in the few past years. My informants suggested that this was for two reasons. First, each year the festival usually has a queen named. This year, again cited as a lack of funds, there was no queen selected to ride on the patacho. Second, a day prior to the festival activity, the local newspaper printed a report stating that, because the patacho had been used during a previous year, it was likely to sink and necessary to put less individuals in it. A few of the fishermen said this was false, that the patacho would not have sunk, and that the rumor was started by someone who was angry that a new patacho had not been constructed, because if it had been, that individual would have profited.

Since the fishermenÕs association was selective, for whatever reason, of who could ride on the patacho, those chosen were only the most important to the process. The priest, the mayor and his wife, and the president of the fishermenÕs association were each dressed well. The other five individuals on the patacho were members of the fishermenÕs association who, I had been told, were those that were older and knew how to row the boat better. These fishermen, once eminent citizens in Huanchaco, have shifted in social status alongside the economic shift of fishing to tourism. The Festival of San Pedro gives this group, who are a vital link to the cultural patrimony of the area, an opportunity to be recognized for their once highly respected profession.

CONCLUSION

The Festival of San Pedro is by no means a static event. Each year, whether due to money or politics, something in the event differs from the year before. As the city of Huanchaco has been changing -- from an economy based on fishing to other modes for income such as tourism -- so has the festival. The basics of the festival remain the same; for example, the petitioning of San Pedro for a better fish harvest and the involvement of the fishermenÕs association are constant elements. However, many other events in the festival commonly vary from year to year. Once the festival was for the fishermen. Now, the festival is for the entire community, as evidenced by the inclusion of the pasacalle.

In Huanchaco, as in many other Latin American communities, the majority of relationships are not built around the market economy, but camaraderie, brotherhood, and reciprocity. Though it may not be verbalized, community recognition is important to many of the groups who have invested time and effort and who represent a history of the area. Each year the Festival of San Pedro creates a way for the local fishermen to be acknowledged.

In my paper, I included what I saw during the Festival of San Pedro in 2004, however, the subject leaves room for a good deal of expansion and interpretation. In talking to one of my informants, he stated, "The festival is done over faith in San Pedro. Sometimes it cooperates, sometimes it doesnÕt. Sometimes the activity isnÕt done because there isnÕt enough money or resources to do it. Sometimes the saint is mad because they donÕt do enough with the fiesta. When that happens, fishermen begin to blame each other and the saint doesnÕt give them anything." When there is tension from bad harvests, lack of funds, or conflict over power, the fishermen do blame each other. In fact, during the last election ten or so unhappy members of the fishermenÕs association left and formed their own group. The dynamic concerning the politics behind the festival and, in addition, the fishermenÕs association, definitely affects the outcome of each festival. Further investigation could provide a greater insights. Given the time frame I was working with, understanding this process would not be practical. However, additional research could provide a great deal of information concerning the festival and/or the fishermenÕs association.