Inti Raymi – Eight Days of Festivities!

Students have been on Service for weeks now. This experience has allow them to learn, reflect, and live among Ecuadorians in closer relation to many of them. SSTers want to share their activities and how they process them during this time. Here is Henry’s blog post.

Just a few short weeks ago one of my classmates and I started our service placement in the small town of Cotacachi. Nestled in a valley between mountains Taita Imbabura and Mama Cotacachi, this cute little village is home to a deep and rich indigenous culture. As luck would have it, we ended up moving in with our hosts right at the beginning of a yearly festival called Inti Raymi. (Side note, my host mom is my classmate’s host grandmother, making me her host uncle. I think it’s rather funny, she, not so much…) Our host families explained to us that Inti Raymi is a festival that celebrates the sun and all that it provides, including food and warmth. It starts on the 24th of June and ends on the 1st of July and includes eight days with special traditions for each day.

By the time June 24th came around the streets began to fill with people from the surrounding communities. Dressed in distinctive tall black hats and hairy leather chaps, the groups stomped rhythmically down our street while whistling and hollering. My classmate and I had the opportunity to join in stomping almost a mile from one of the communities, past our houses, and into the main square. We learned that we had to be in rows or we got scolded, and that everyone gets offered shots of homemade alcohol from unmarked plastic bottles. Although a little uncomfortable, I feel very fortunate that I had the chance to participate in this part of the celebration.

Once at the main plaza in Cotacachi, the different communities formed rotating circles with musicians at the center and continued to stomp rhythmically and periodically reverse the direction of the rotation. The whole experience felt like organized chaos, especially because, on some days, there was a large police presence. Apparently in years past there have been intense clashes between rival communities which have resulted in injuries and even deaths. For this reason the police came with full riot gear and were ready to attempt to break up any fights if they were to start. Thankfully, this year there were no deaths, and if there were any fights I certainly wasn’t around to see them!

Our host families were great at including us in all of the festivities. I was reluctant to join the mass of people at first, but in the end, I am very glad my host mom grabbed my arm and dragged me into it! See if you can spot me in this first picture and my fellow SSTer in the second.

Some of the days have names which reflect the mixing of indigenous culture and Catholicism. One of my favorite days was San Pedro, which we spent at one of my family member’s homes. As is customary for the evening of San Pedro, we ate and drank together while musicians played and sang lyrical flowing music. I told my host family, “I’m only going to stay for an hour, I need to get a good night’s sleep”, but before I knew it, it was almost one in the morning, and I was getting home after an incredible evening of dancing and sharing. My little host cousin Amelia even taught me how to play a traditional melody on the melodica!

The final day of the festival is called el Día de la Mujer. Many women put on their formal indigenous clothing which includes a white embroidered shirt paired with a skirt-like fabric called an anaco. Beads and hats are also a popular addition to the traditional clothing, and in fact my fellow SSTer was given the opportunity to wear an outfit provided by her host family!* Also, a common sound heard throughout this festival is that of the churro. The literal translation of “churo” is “spiral” but in this context churo means a spiral conch shell. She had the chance to play the churo and was given high praise by everyone who heard her!

Similar to San Pedro, the music on this day was filled with flutes, harmonicas, guitars, and a little bit of singing. I preferred San Pedro and el Día de la Mujer because of the music, and everything was just a bit calmer. However, the entire festival was an incredibly special experience and I am grateful that my SST lined up with being able to participate in the celebrations. Eight days is a long time to party, and even my family was exhausted after the whole ordeal! But, despite the exhaustion, we are working hard during these last few weeks and can’t wait to share all of our experiences upon our return! Chao chao!

*Faculty editorial note: Many times, buying, using, and wearing traditional items from communities that are not our own can be complicated. SST students and faculty don’t take this lightly and participate in such experiences at the invitation of our hosts, who have expressed their desire to include students and are gracious in their welcome. We encourage students and be open minded and curious about how best to demonstrate respect other peoples’ dignity and how best to share cultural practices and exchange knowledge.