Feast of Santa Rosa

August 30 is the feast of Saint Rose, the patron saint of Lima. It´s a holiday for anyone lucky enough to have a ¨real¨ job in the formal sector of the economy. There are hundreds of processions and festivals all over the city. This is a procession that passed down my street.

The most popular activity seems to be the one that takes place at the ¨wishing well¨ at the church of Santa Rosa near the center of town. It used to be a regular water well, but is now a dry hole where people come to write their petitions on a card and drop them into the well, hoping that Santa Rosa will answer their prayers.

It´s a very busy (and I suppose profitable) day for people selling the cards, pens, and all sorts of food to the hungry crowds. People had to stand in line for several hours to get to the well. (I didn´t, which is why I only have pictures of the crowds, and not the well.)