THE CELEBRATION OF SAN PEDRO

Within the festive calendar of Corongo, the celebration of San Pedro, it is perhaps one of the most important.

This traditional celebration "coronguina", lasts eight days and takes place in two stages. The persons whom are in charge to make the celebration are the calls "Water Judge" (Juez de Agua), whom are two:
• A "Water Judge" of the "Top Part" or Tapka, and
• Another "Water Judge" of the "Low Part" or "Recuainos"

It is custom to alternate the judges in the initiation of the celebration, a year corresponds to the water judge of "Top Part" and the next year correspond to initiate the celebration to the water judge of "Low Part".

The water judges, are faithful devotee of San Pedro and make a waste of enthusiasm and money at the time of celebrating the celebration, all this is motivated by their fervent religiousness and the eagerness to excel.

One of the attractiveness of the celebration, constitutes the "Pallas" and the "Panataguas", the Pallas represent the "Campos", whereas the Panataguas represent the "Cabecillas".

"MUYUTZI" TUNE

It is a musical composition, in which one spreads the characteristics and/or particular peculiarities that surround the mandate by each Water Judge.

The Muyutzi tune is important, because with this; the june 24, beginning the great celebration, for this the musical band, the Water Judge, accompanied by its "Campos", "Cabecillas" and guests, march by the "Great Street"; spreading the new tune, which is gonna be executed during the festividades.

But the tune is not just important because with this beginning the festividades, is it also; by which it prints in the memory of the coronguinos, a particular form to remember its water judges, one of these tonadas is the one that remenbers to his first Water Judge, Don Benigno Garay and that his first letters say this:

"Don Benigno Garayshi
first Water Judge
we go to the square cholita
to have drink from gold.
We go to the street cholita
to drink blond chicha,
San Pedro wants to do it cholita ,
by its great celebration".

THE DESCENT OF SAN PEDRO

The descet of San Pedro is carry out on june 27 of every year, in thise day devotee and the faithful ones of patrono saint, go to the church, to observe with deep faith, the sdescent of San Pedro, who descends from his throne, located to the center and in the high part of the altar, which slowly is moved by a very ingenious mechanical apparatus, which is constituted by two piece of wood, a column and a crosspiece, placed in right angle.

afterwards it is carried out the adoration and offering to the image on the part of the feligreses, which often get specially to render tribute in these dates.

BREAKING AND THE DAY BEFORE

The breaking and the day before occurs on june 28, the night of the breaking is characterized because the population leaves to dance to the rhythm of the Band of Musician and the "Chirocos", all the people dance without distinction of race and social class, it is danced with a women to the arm, with one or with two, one of the stamps that characterize the breaking constitutes the ladies who march with wax candle, which illuminates in a particual way the celebration.

In the eves, the Water Judge and his wife concur to the church carrying the outline, that it will be the guide the celebrations of the following day. Meanwhile in the main square, there are fireworks that include rockets, castles, lights, crazy cows, bombardas, etc., part of spectacle is constitute for doing to elevate enormous air balloons, which are celebrated and applauded by the spectators and in special way by the children.

DAWN, PROCESION, ENTRANCE AND "SHILLCA"

Very early in the morning, two a.m. in the morning, at the first song of the rooster; of the hoped june 29, the "Pallas" leave to dance, the "Panataguas" and all those that want to have a good time dancing, which lasts until entrances the first hours in the morning, for this the spouses of the "campos" and "cabecillas" were in charge to serve broth of hen and "cattle head", to all the dancers, with the purpose recover of all the unfolded effort.

About the 11 in the morning of day 29, the bells of the church call to mass in honor of patrono saint, to where they concur headed by the Water Judge, the publish authorities and the town in general.

SAN PEDRITO
Image to the entrance of Corongo

Finished the solemn mass in the church, in presence of the concurrence of his faithfuls devotee, "San Pedro de Corongo" leaves in procession, meanwhile in the vestibule of the Church, the children dressed as a "San Miguel" relate their vibrant and moved speeches of praise to the image of San Pedro.

The procession crosses the "Large Street", four long shreds that form a quadrilateral in downtown, with support of all the town, for which they have been adorned with his better suits and takes ignited wax candles, is a little while of deep religiosidad, the patrono saint in his portable platform is taken in procession with songs and orations, requesting him that bless to the town and their settlers, with good harvests and probably to some one with the pardon of its sins.

In the procession the "Pallas2 and "Panataguas" go ahead, the priest and the people who accompanies the procession, pray in each corner. The band executes a touching and solemn march, while the peal of bells and the roar of the rockets fills the space. More or less to two and a half of the afternoon the procession enters to the temple.

Fulfilled with the saint duty to feed the souls of the feligreses, beginning a succulent lunch in the house of the Water Judge, after to have fulfilled feeding the body, follows the dance of Pallas and Panataguas, to culminate; from the six of afternoon, with called "the entered", that consists; in which all the dancers concentrate in the main squar, where they intensify his fun dancing until the ten, eleven or twelve at night.

In order to onlook the "entrance" great amount of people concurs, while the "shillicos" of Celendín, parked in the perimeter of the main square to do its great fair, selling straw hats, pañolones, fabrics and trinkets.

The 30 of June finish the celebration in his first stage, with the "Shillca", in which the festivities with Pallas and Panataguas are repeated.

In the subsequent days until the 4 of July, the other Water Judge made the same program of festivities, which often are from greater solemnity and animation than the previous one.

CHOOSE A LANGUAGE
SPANISH	ENGLISH