BBC News is reporting that Takanakuy, the annual Peruvian fight festival that takes place during the Christmas holidays, has occurred. Takanakuy literally means when the blood is boiling” in Quechua (the primary language in the region) and it is an opportunity for feuding folks to clear their differences by literally punching it out. Suemedha Sood writes:
Each year, the Peruvian province of Chumbivilcas hosts the vibrant Christmastime festival of Takanakuy. High up in the Andes Mountains, at an elevation of around 3,600m in the well-known Cusco region, communities get together for celebrations involving music, dancing, drinking, eating and brightly coloured costumes. It’s much like any number of festivals in Latin America – except this holiday gathering culminates with a series of public fist fights on Christmas Day (December 25).
Entire towns congregate around sporting arenas to watch members of the community fight each other. People of all ages enter the ring, from young children to the elderly, and participation is open to women and men alike. The purpose of Takanakuy is to settle grievances built up over the year — be they civil disputes or personal ones — in a public forum. The festival seeks to resolve conflict, strengthen community bonds and hopefully, arrive at a greater peace.
Achieving peace through fighting? Novel.
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