Would you let a guinea pig crawl on your head? A popular Peruvian cleansing ritual took place at a fair in Lima in anticipation for the new year.
As the new year kicks off many of us are looking for ways to reset and recharge, and in Peru there are many options to do so. Numerous otherworldly sites make it easy to disconnect from life as you know it; a natural bounty of beneficial superfoods can inspire an upgraded diet, and native guinea pigs can crawl on your head until all the bad vibes have been dismissed. Oh, you haven’t heard of that Peruvian cleansing ritual?
Just before 2019 wrapped up, a line-up of Peruvians anxiously waited to be rubbed down by a black guinea pig at the Feria de los Deseos (Fair of Wishes) in Lima, Peru. For over 15 years, this annual end-of-the-year event, organized by Lidia Cortez, has welcomed hundreds of attendees who are drawn by the offering of the usual (artisan crafts, sweets made with native ingredients ) and the unexpected (amulets, mystic traditions).
The twentieth edition of Feria de los Deseos was held in the main square of the Breña district. The Daily Mail captured shaman Maria Ramos relieving one woman of negative energy with the help of a guinea pig. “A cleansing with the black guinea pig to take out the bad energies, the bad vibes, has always been done by our ancestors,” Ramos is quoted as saying.
Whether it strikes you as fascinating or squeamish, there is no denying that the living cultures and traditions of Peru are something to be regarded—and worth traveling for.
Source: Daily Mail
Cover photo: Pixabay
