Christmas is a time of warmth and joy and family. But it sets so many people on edge that the folk wisdom about suicides spiking seems plausible.
In the Chumbivilcas Province of Peru, citizens have developed the antidote to feeling gloomy – fighting! Takanakuy takes place every December 25, and involves men, women, elders, and even children going at it with wrapped fists in front of hundreds of spectators.
Takanakuy, which means when the blood is boiling in Quechua has been practiced for centuries. It may have developed as an simple way of resolving disputes, much like Lorenzo and Frank Fertittas legal contract to resolve intractable UFC disputes via rolling.
The practice is preceded by days of drinking, drinking between church and the fight, and drinking afterwards, to numb the pain.
This is one of the best Christmas traditions, ever.
Laura Secorun has the story for OZY.
It’s not just passive aggression. Some use Takanakuy to settle serious personal or legal disputes. Your best friend stole your girlfriend? Wait for Takanakuy. Your neighbor built on your property? Wait for Takanakuy. The rules are simple: Whoever wins, wins the case. It’s only slightly violent, says Milagros Flores Chino, a regular participant who lives in Cuzco.
But don’t assume that means Takanakuy is no-holds-barred. Biting or kicking someone when he’s down is forbidden, and there are referee-type figures equipped with colorful whips ready to separate fighters if one of them violates the rules. They’ve also added police who stand by in case things get too out of hand.
Today, many amateur boxers join Takanakuy for the fun. And it’s not only young men. Women, elders and even children — with parental approval — can go at each other while hundreds of spectators stand by watching, laughing and cheering. On top of the kicking and punching, the festival is surprisingly joyous, with music, dance and copious amounts of alcohol. Everybody dresses up for the occasion in a peculiar style that combines traditional belts, colorful ski masks and even stuffed animals as hats. No wonder the practice has become so popular it’s now spreading to larger cities like Cuzco and even Lima.
Bolivia has a similar celebration called Tinku, that takes place in May in the village of Potosí. In Tinku the women rarely fight, and the fights between men are large brawls, the local equivalent of St. Patrick’s Day.
