is an annual established practice of fighting fellow community members held on 25 December, by the

inhabitants of Chumbivilcas Province, near Cuzco in Peru. The practice started in Santo Toms, the capital of
Chumbivilcas and has now spread to other villages and cities, the prominent ones being Cuzco and Lima. The
festival consists of dancing and of individuals fighting each other to settle old conflicts or simply to display their
manhood.
Dress
There are five types of traditional 'characters' portrayed during the ceremony that have different roles based
on Andean cultural symbols. The majority of the dress is based on traditional horse riding gear and brighly
colored Peruvian ski masks, which are characteristic of the specific regional area. The ski masks are not all the
same, they have different colors, different designs, and different textile patterns.
Majeno
Majenos are the most basic level of dress adorning the traditional horse riding gear. A 'majeo' is a guy who
lives near the Majes River in the Andes and the attire of this character is based on that. Wool horse riding
pants, a leather cap, a harrington-like traditional Peruvian jacket, hollowed out bull's horn for the alcohol. The
specific Peruvian ski mask is called "uyach'ullu" which has abstract symbolic associations and displays four
colors (red, green, yellow, and white) which are supposed to represent the four quadrants of the universe. The
main purpose of wearing the ski mask however is to concel the identity of the fighters in order to prevent the
tensions and animosities from linger over into the next year.
Quarawatanna
A combination between Majeno dress with the addition of a leather biker jacket, long leather cowboy chaps,
and eithert a dead bird or a deer skull on top of hi/her head. The majority of the young individuals in the
indigenous communities pick this type of fighter due to its intimidation factor.
Negro
Aspects of this dress attempt to portray a slave master during the colonial periods; for example, knee-high
leather boots, fancy worsted pants, a nice shirt and waistcoat, a silk embroidered cape in pink or baby blue,
and a cardboard crown with shiny wrapping paper on the sides and a star at the top. Then the character has to
dance in circles like a rooster, which is the characters associated spirit animal. This type of outfit was
traditionally reserved for the wealthy men in town and served in contrast to the Majenos drunkarchetype. Over
time, the character became less the rich mans costumes than the top fighters.


Langosta
The Spanish word 'langosta' translates to locust, and this costume is made to resemble one. The outfit is made
of shiny material, and often the wearer hands a dead bird to represent the death that locusts caused in the
area in the 1940s.
Q'ara Gallo
This specific fighter wear no distinct type of dress attributed to Andean culture but still takes part in the
procession but not the ceremonious fighting.
Fighting
The procession to the fighting site starts with a high pitched falsetto through the streets. The procession is
family oriented as a preparation for the young children who will see the violent fights later on in the day.
Children also dress up for the occasion, usually resembling their father's character. The purpose of the fighting
is to settle conflicts with an individual, friend, family member or to settle territorial conflicts that have come up
throughout the year. The style of fighting used during the celebration is relatively similar to martial arts, which
involves kicking, punching, and quickness of their movements. Those fighting call out their opponents by their
first and last name. They then proceed to the middle of the circle and start the fight. The men fighting must
wrap their hands with cloth prior to the fight. Biting, hitting those on the ground, or pulling hair is not allowed
during the fight. The winner is selected based upon a knockout or intervention by the official. There are
amateur officials who carry whips in order to maintain the crowd under control. At the start and at the end of
the fight, the opponents must shake hands or give each other a hug. If the loser of the fight disagrees with the
outcome, he or she can appeal for another fight. This type of fighting also exemplifies one's level of manhood
in the community of Santo Toms.
Music
The type of music played during the ceremony is Huaylia. This music originated in 1560 as part of the Taky
Unkuy ideological resistance movement. The lyrics in Hualya center around the repeal of authority,
confrontation, and freedom. The chorus is repeated in a loop endlessly throughout the procession to the town's
center. Indigenous people believe that dancing Huaylia will transform them into a new person.
Alcohol
There are preliminary drinking days prior to the celebration. The day of the celebration the people of the
community get together have breakfast at the local church and drink before the fighting starts. After the fight,
fighters will drink more alcohol in order to ignore the pain endured during the fight.