Latin America is not only home to the most, but also to amazing food, great music, diverse cultures, and lively festivals. In fact, some of their feasts are renowned throughout the world and draw huge crowds of tourists each year.
- Medellin Flower Festival (August 1 - 10)
For the first ten days of the month of August, Medellin becomes the most vibrant and colorful city in Latin America as flowers of different kinds are exhibited throughout the city. The highlight of the event is the Silleteros parade, wherein Latin women strap a contraption on their backs that is arranged with flowers. The flowers are designed to depict their rich culture and history.
Aside from the Silleteros parade, you can also look forward to other events, such as a horse fair, a national trova festival, and dog walk. All these activities are made livelier with upbeat music constantly playing in the background and dancers bolstering the crowds.
- Dia de Los Muertos (November 1)
Even in the afterlife, Mexicans stay true to their tradition of maintaining close family ties. Every 1st of November, they pay their respects to their dead quite seriously. But that does not mean this holiday is a sombre one.
Dia de los Muertos (or Day of the Dead) is a day of remembering their deceased loved ones but also a celebration of life. This is reflected in their colorful costumes and calavera (skull) makeup. This festival is the Mexican equivalent of Halloween in the U.S.
Each household also sets up altars to remember their dead relatives. They adorn the altars with flowers, candles, pictures of the deceased, and even some food. This is because Mexicans believe that Dia de los Muertos is the one day that the dead visit the living world to visit their living relatives.
The journey from the spirit realm to the living can leave one hungry and thirsty, which is why the living offer food to the dead. This is the kind of festival that would make you appreciate life more.
- Mistura (September)
Prepare to stuff yourself full with Lima, Peru’s largest annual food festival. Each year, the city’s best chefs and restaurants set up stalls and serve their best dishes to the festival goers. Some of the local tribes also sample their delicacies and pastries. Farmers also take center stage as they sell their best crops.
This feast lasts for ten days, so visitors have more than enough time to sample the specialty of each stall. And like any Latin festival, this grand event would not be complete without music and dancing.
- Inti Raymi (June 22)
Have you ever wondered what the Inca empire was like? Well, you can get a taste of its former glory by attending this festival. The feast commemorates the sun god, Inti, and lasts from dawn until dusk.
At the start of the celebration, four representatives of the major suyos invoke praise for the sun god. Afterwards, the entourage (accompanied by fake mummies) proceeds to the Plaza de Armas where they conduct a ceremonial reading to determine the empire’s fate for the next year. Finally, the event draws to a close by sacrificing a llama.
This reenactment of ancient traditions draws huge crowds each year. The colorful and vibrant traditional garments worn by the participants also add more realism and drama to the theatrical spectacle. Joining the festivities would definitely feel like being thrown back in time to the Inca period.
These celebrations not only give you a taste of Latin culture, it is also a great opportunity to meet beautiful Latin girls. If you are lucky, one of them might even end up being the person you spend the rest of your life with.
