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Latin Americans love fiestas (festivals), which punctuate nearly every month of the year. And Peru is no exception! Peru is a unique gem situated along the Pacific coast. Its fusion of Indigenous cultures and languages along with Spanish traditions and Catholicism creates opportunities to celebrate unique people and events. Explore some of the most famous and most unique festivals in Peru.

1. Festival de Marinera (Trujillo Marinera Festival)

When: January

Where: Trujillo

What to expect: Marinera is a type of courtship dance in Trujillo—with Andean, Spanish, Gypsy, and Islamic influences—so you’ll see lots of folks rendering their version of it to try to win the marinera contest. Despite the ancient influences, the marinera dance honors the Peruvian Navy’s participation in the War of the Pacific in the late eighteenth century.

In addition to watching folks compete to be named the best marinera dancers, get ready for a parade and two more contests: for the best caballo de paso (a special Peruvian horse) and the best passacalle music (music that originated in the streets of Spain).

Fun fact: Passacalle music is associated with endings. In Quechua, it’s called aywalla, which basically means “I’m out of here.”

2. La Fiesta Candelaria (Candlemas)

When: February 2

Where: all over Peru—especially in Puno

What to expect: Known as Candlemas in English, Candelaria is a celebration honoring the Virgin Mary and Baby Jesus that’s particularly significant in Peru with its blending of Catholic and Indigenous traditions. Not only is Mary honored but so is the indigenous earth goddess, Pachamama.

The Puno festival features thousands of dancers in traditional, heavily layered costumes with ornate masks and headpieces along with the singers and musicians who accompany them or play music separately.

Fun fact: Aside from the Catholic-inspired rituals, Indigenous purification ceremonies are performed. Many participants and attendees speak Quechua or Aymara, the official languages of Peru (along with Spanish).

3. Día Nacional del Pisco Sour (Pisco Sour Day)

When: first Saturday of February

Where: all over Peru—especially Lima

What to expect: The Pisco Sour is Peru’s most famous cocktail and has been declared part of the nation’s Cultural Heritage. It often accompanies ceviche, a raw fish appetizer with seasonings and lime juice. The cocktail also includes lime juice, an egg white, and pisco—a liquor made from grapes.

On Pisco Sour Day, some folks do a Pisco Sour tour, stopping at traditional and modern bars to savor the drinks. We think the bars of the Museo de Pisco (Pisco Museums—there are three: in Lima, Arequipa, and Cusco) are a great place to start.

Fun fact: This drink has been attributed to an English immigrant in Lima in the early part of the twentieth century, but there’s some debate over its origin. 

4. Carnaval de Cajamarca (Cajamarca Carnival)

When: begins five days before Ash Wednesday (usually February, but dates may vary)

Where: Cajamarca

What to expect: The parades and presentations of locals in traditional Indigenous costumes feature wildly colorful giant puppets (powered by humans) and catchy folkloric music and dances like the upbeat cilulo. 

The Ño Carnavalón (Carnival King)—a giant paper mache figure with a huge smile—kicks off the festivities before the painting begins. This is also the day folks throw water and paint at each other, all in good fun.

Fun fact: Carnaval ends with the feigned death of Ño Carnavalón, complete with coffin, mourners, and wake. The next day, on Ash Wednesday, the larger-than-life puppet is buried, but not without some searing comments directed at politicians before he goes underground. 

5. Festival Internacional de la Vendimia (International Wine and Pisco Festival)

When: first week of March (and other dates in other cities)

Where: Ica—although other cities may also participate

What to expect: In a celebration of gratitude for wine and pisco, this festival features musical artists of international renown in concert. There are also small tasting events at individual wine producers throughout the city and region of Ica.

There’ll be a Reina de la Vendimia (Queen of the Harvest) who presides over the festivities and contests for the best songs, dances, Afrodance, art, poetry, and even dogs.

Fun fact: The Ica region is one of the biggest producers of wine in Peru, and Peru is one of the largest producers of wine in Latin America. Though a liquor not a wine, pisco is also made from grapes.

6. Fiesta de las Cruces (Festival of the Crosses)

When: May 3 (and sometimes the day before)

Where: Cusco, Ayacucho, Apurimac, Junin, Ica, Puno, Pasco, and other locations

What to expect: Processions through the streets of flower-covered crosses with embroidered fabrics are the mainstay of this festival. These large, heavy crosses are usually transported on people’s shoulders.

You’ll also experience folkloric music and, in some cities and towns, the vigorous danza de tijeras (scissors dancers), with exquisite costumes, on-pointe moves, and a curiously Asian feel.

Fun fact: Brought by the Spaniards and probably linked to pagan spring rites, the Fiesta de las Cruces is also associated with St. Helen. She’s famously from the Byzantine era, where she searched for and allegedly found the True Cross on which Jesus died. In Peru, this festival overlaps with the Indigenous one, which celebrates the earth mother Pachamama.

7. Qeswachaka (Rope Bridge Festival)

¡Fiesta! ¡Fiesta! ¡Fiesta! If there’s one thing Colombians love it’s a party…or a festival…or a carnival…or a parade. Colombian festivals abound all year long, and we cover the most important or most common ones in this article.

After reading about these festivals in Colombia, we’re pretty sure you’ll be dying to visit. You might also want to learn some Spanish with Rosetta Stone, which offers an immersive method of language learning designed to get you speaking on the very first day.

1. Carnaval de Negros y Blancos (Black and White Carnival)

When: Late December into January

Where: San Juan de Pasto

What to expect: A celebration of mestizaje, or the intermingling of various cultures and races (including Pacific, Amazonian, and Andean), this is the most important carnival in southern Colombia. It was initiated in the mid-sixteenth century after the arrival of the Spanish. The festival underwent a process of fusion among indigenous, African, and Catholic traditions.

Three Kings Day on January 5th was declared a holiday for the African slaves (negritos) to celebrate their heritage, so coloring the town and their faces black became a fun game. This tradition took great hold in the region of Pastos. Much later on January 6th, a blancos (whites) game started in a brothel, where tailors powdered people’s faces of everyone there or at the church after mass.

Carnaval de Negros y Blancos developed even more until it became what it is today: a parade known for its exceptional artistry in terms of its floats. These huge sculptural creations of bright colors take about a year to create and sometimes hold dozens of dancers.

On the second to the last day of the festival, attendees wear a dark pigmentation to honor the traditional heritage. Then on the last day, they apply white powder to their faces. As a whole, these black and white cosmetics are meant to represent the unity of the races. The Carnaval de Negros y Blancos is included in UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

Fun fact: Carnaval kicks off with the Water Carnival where water fights with balloons and buckets are all part of street fun. If you decide to venture out, be prepared to get wet!

>> Learn Colombian Spanish: the “easiest” Spanish dialect

2. Feria de Manizales (Manizales Fair)

When: early January

Where: Manizales

What to expect: Manizales, Columbia, is famous for its coffee, and one highlight of this fair is the Coffee Queen competition. It’s a beauty pageant that attracts contestants from around Columbia and even neighboring countries. There’s also another competition in which trova singers compete by singing improvised lyrics.

Though it has its share of floats, folklore and music like other Colombian festivals, Feria de Manizales has a couple unique events that other festivals in Columbia don’t hold: bullfighting and tango events. Don’t be fooled that this is a small festival—over 300 events are held each year. You’ll find something fun to do with the locals!

Fun fact: This fair was inspired by the April Fair in Seville, Spain, but this version has a distinct Columbian flair.

3. Día de la Candelaria (Candlemas)

When: Early February

Where: Various places in Colombia but especially in Cartagena

What to expect: Día de la Candelaria commemorates the moment when the Virgin Mary took the infant Jesus and some candles to be blessed in the temple. 

In Cartagena, you’ll see processions, fairs, and cabalgatas, which are popular parades. The focal point is usually horses and riders but you’ll also see bands, music, and floats designed to celebrate this special moment. People also climb up Cerro de la Popa (Popa Hill) and descend with an image of the Virgin of Candelaría. Candlemas is also celebrated as a popular festival in Peru.

Fun fact: The Virgin of Candelaria is represented by a black Madonna statue in Tenerife, Spain, in the Canary Islands.

4. Carnaval de Barranquilla 

When: January into February

Where: Barranquilla

What to expect: This centuries-old Colombian festival is the biggest celebration of all, with pre-event celebrations happening for several weeks. The Barranquilla Carnival takes place over four days, filling the streets with bright colors, masks, dances, music, and so much more. Tickets are required to attend, but it’s worth doing as it might be the “partiest” party you’ll attend in Columbia. Plan to be here on the Saturday before Ash Wednesday, as that’s usually the start date of the festival.

Fun fact: You can learn a lot of cultural dances like the African congo, indigenous mico y micas, or multiple Colombian dances like porro and puya.

5. Festival de Música Andina Colombiana ‘Mono Núñez’ (Andean Music Festival) 

When: Early March

Where: Teatro Mayor Julio Mario Santo Domingo, Bogotá

What to expect: Characterized as “the most important Andean music event of Colombia,” this festival is also considered to be one of the best of its kind in Latin America. Each year, the most exceptional participants are selected, and they become the headliners for the following festival. Music lovers don’t miss out on this lyrical festival that’s held annually in Bogotá.

Fun fact: The festival is also simply called El Mono Núñez, the nickname for the Colombian musician named Benigno Núñez.

How can I identify the French part of speech for a word? 

In many French vocabulary lists and dictionaries, you’ll see the French word followed by some extra letters or abbreviations. It might look like one of these examples: 

• magie nf 
• magie, n. f. 

The “nf”  or “n.f.” refers to “noun, feminine.”  This is useful to distinguish the noun magie (magic) from the adjective magique (magical). It’s a quick way to know the French part of speech the word belongs to when you need quick help.

There are also commonly used abbreviations for other parts of speech and characteristics.

• magique adj.  (adjective) 
• manger v. (verb) 
• mon adj poss (possessive adjective)
• même adv (adverb)

Le nom/le substantif (noun) 

If hearing the word “noun” brought to mind the common definition “person, place, thing, or idea,” then you’re on the right track already! Here are a few more features of nouns in French: 

Nouns are usually accompanied by a déterminant (determiner). These can be typical articles (a, an, the) or other words like (each, some, this, my).

• la chaussette = the sock (definite article) 
• une chaussette = a sock (indefinite article) 
• cette chaussette = this sock (demonstrative) 
• mes chaussettes = my socks (possessive) 

Singular or plural nouns are used to demonstrate the number of persons, places, things, or ideas.

• La chemise = the shirt 
• Les chemises = the shirts

Nouns have grammatical gender of either masculine or feminine. The gender can change the meaning of the noun, which is why it’s important to learn their gender and not just the meaning.

• Le chèvre = the goat cheese 
• La chèvre = the goat

Serving two purposes, nouns can function as subjects or objects in a sentence. 

• La chèvre a mangé la chaussette. = The goat ate the sock. (The goat is the subject.)
• J’ai mangé le chèvre. = I ate the goat cheese. (The goat cheese is the object.) 

Le pronom (pronoun)

This popular Romance language has several different types of French pronouns, which are used to replace a noun in order to avoid repetition. Your reader or listener can get annoyed pretty quickly if you repeat a name or noun excessively while you tell a story. Compare these examples in English:

• Without pronouns: I looked for my cousin, but I didn’t see my cousin because my cousin went to the store with my cousin’s friend. 
• With pronouns: I looked for my cousin, but I didn’t see him because he went to the store with his friend.

Le pronom sujet (subject pronoun)

Subject pronouns are often one of the French parts of speech learners will memorize. You can use subject pronouns to replace a noun when it is the subject of the sentence. Remember, not all nouns are grammatically the subject, so you’ll have to ask “who or what is doing the verb, or the action?” to determine the subject.

Nous mangeons beaucoup de pizza. = We eat a lot of pizza. 

Who eats a lot of pizza? “We” do. So “we” is the subject pronoun.

Le pronom réfléchi (reflexive pronoun) 

Reflexive verbs are used when the subject of the verb receives the action of the verb. To accomplish this in English we sometimes use words like “myself.” Sometimes the reflexive pronoun doesn’t translate to English at all, as French has lots of verbs that are used reflexively.

• Je me lave les mains. = I wash my hands. 
• Elle se regarde dans le miroir. = She looks at herself in the mirror. 
• Nous nous amusons. = We have fun. 

Le pronom objet direct (direct object pronoun)

Direct object pronouns replace the noun as the object of the sentence, receiving the action of the verb.

Japanese numbers are a foundational aspect to learn for anyone interested in the Japanese language. Whether your interest stems from the desire to travel (for which you’ll want to know some key Japanese words), to understand Japanese media, or to connect with a unique heritage, mastering these basics are a great first step.

The numbers 1 through 100 are relatively simple. Once you know the numbers from 1-10, it just takes a few simple rules to get you the numbers from 11-99. However, as with most languages, 100 will be different from how the other numbers are formed and how they sound. Have no fear, you’ll probably pick them up faster than you think!

Japanese numbers 1-10

The numbers 1-10 are the building blocks of all numbers in Japanese. They are also a good sampler of the relative simplicity of Japanese sounds. When learning words in any language, it’s important to learn proper pronunciation and TruAccent is the ideal way to improve your accent. Otherwise you may have to work extra hard to break bad habits.

With Japanese pronunciation, vowels are especially important to say accurately. Keep this in mind as you go through the numbers.

Within the basic Japanese numbers, there are a few that have multiple possible pronunciations. 4 is sometimes shi, 7 is sometimes shichi, and 9 is sometimes ku. These are used depending on context. For example, when saying the day or month (where January is translated as “month number one”), the alternative sounds are used. 

Tips for remembering numbers 1-10 in Japanese:

Memorizing new words without context tends to be a challenge for most language learners. While it’s important to repeat new words multiple times and try to use them frequently, you can make studying easier on yourself by using memory aids. Here are our suggestions to remember numbers 1-10 in Japanese:

• Ichi (1) sounds very close to the English word “each.” Just make the initial “ee” sound stronger and add a short “ee” sound to the end of the word.
• Ni (2) is practically identical in pronunciation to “knee.” You can remember it with ichi by thinking of the phrase “each knee.”
• San (3) can be thought of as a combination of two heat-related words: “sun” and “sauna.” It’s a single syllable like “sun,” but has the middle vowel sound of “sauna.”
• Yon (4) can be remembered with the word “yawn,” but the vowel sound is “oh” rather than “ah.”
• Go (5) basically sounds like “go” just with a deeper “oh” sound.
• Roku (6) is similar to “rock.” Just be careful that the vowel sound is an “oh” rather than “ah.”
• Nana (7) sounds like someone quickly refusing something. We can put it together with the preceding numbers to make a short dialogue where someone encourages their reluctant friend: “Yawn.” “Go rock!” “Nah nah.”
• Hachi (8) almost matches the phrase “Ha! Cheap!” but without the final consonant.
• Kyuu (9) sounds just like the letter “q.”
• Juu (10) conveniently rhymes with the preceding number. “J” and “k” are also next to each other in the alphabet though it’s reversed for these words. 

Japanese numbers 11-19

For the numbers 11-19, all you need to do is say the number for 10 (juu), then say the number that would add up to the final number you need. It can help to think of this in a mathematical formula. For example, to make 11 we start with 10 then add 1.

• 10 + 1 = 11
• juu + ichi ➞ juu ichi = 11

This formula easily applies to the rest of the numbers in this range of 11-19.

Japanese numbers 20-99

Just as the numbers 11-19 follow a formula, so do the rest of the numbers in Japanese that go from 20-99. Instead of addition, this range of numbers uses multiplication that you can see with the number 20:

• 2 x 10 (or two tens) = 20 
• ni x juu ➞ ni juu = 20

With this formula, just make sure your smaller number comes first, otherwise you’ll have created a different number like juu ni, which means 12 instead of 20. This pattern means that 30 is san juu, 40 is yon juu, 50 is go juu, and so on.

To create other numbers, such as 21, 46, etc., you combine the two formulas:

• 2 x 10 + 1 = 21 
• ni x juu + ichi ➞ ni juu ichi = 21
• 4 x 10 + 6 = 46 
• yon x juu + roku ➞ yon juu roku = 46

If you’d like to quiz yourself on whether you understand the rules so far, try saying these numbers in Japanese after trying to make the words on your own.

100 in Japanese (and beyond)

Now that you know most of the numbers, your last task is to learn the number 100 in Japanese. It’s a unique word: hyaku (百), pronounced “hyah-koo.” If you’re curious, the previous rules also apply to numbers over 100. Here are two examples.

• 125 = hyaku ni juu go 
• 936 = kyuu hyaku san juu roku

There are a few numbers where the pronunciation