As I’ve indicated repeatedly, celebrations here in Peru are not taken lightly. In addition to national holidays, each town has its own local festivities to mark the anniversary of the school, town, and other important dates in its history. This week marked the anniversary of Virgen del Carmen, the main school in Poroto, so students, teachers, and community members were all deeply involved in the execution of anniversary celebrations. I helped decorate for the events and plan the activities with the teachers and students. Elaborate dances, poetry readings, and marching were all portions of the show to honor the school. Students voted on queens to represent their peers in the school-wide parade and students wore costumes to join in the fiestas.
Although these celebrations can be fun, I can’t help but notice how much class time is wasted on celebrations and anniversaries instead of math, science, and reading. Countless days each year are dedicated to preparation for parties; cutting out letters and decorations, preparing complex dances, planning costumes and speeches, etc. Although I believe it is important to organize community events, the amount of time and energy decorated to fiestas is just absurd. If the same effort was applied to quality education or opportunities for town development, I think Poroto would advance much quicker. However, while I’m here I’ll still give my speeches, help decorate, and clap along to the dances for the town festivities. It is important to celebrate culture and local events, and maybe in time education will also be taken more seriously.
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