El Señor de los Milagros

Every year in October, a large number of Peruvians walk for hours within cramped parades, forgetting their exhaustion. Tears, prayers and applause are the framework of the most popular religious celebration in the country: El Señor de los Milagros – Lord of Miracles.

The image of this saint, which congregates the largest number of devotees in South America, dates from the 17^th century when it was painted by an African slave on the walls of an abandoned estate in Lima. Despite earthquakes, floods and various attempts to erase it, the ‘miraculous’ image has remained intact for more than three centuries.

Every year an oil paint copy of the ‘Cristo Moreno’ – Black Christ, due to its many Afroperuvian devotees – is taken through a procession, followed by thousands dressed in purple ‘habitos’, singing, praying and burning incense.

LimaThis celebration is a good opportunity to enjoy the ‘Turrón de Doña Pepa’ (a traditional cake eaten throughout October) and ‘picarones’ (fried donuts made from pumpkin). In addition, to honour the ‘Señor de los Milagros’, the bull-fighting season is opened in the Plaza de Acho in Lima, featuring the most prestigious ‘toreros’ of Spain and America

Insider Tip: tourists are not recommended to participate in the processions, the crowds are heavy creating a wonderful opportunity for pickpockets.

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