Celebrated on the shortest day of the year, on 24 June, also known as the winter solstice, the event traditionally involved the sacrifice of an animal to ensure healthy crops.
![](/Portals/World Expeditions/LiveBlog/WP-Images/Inti_Raymi_woman-small-1024x683-200px.jpg) Also known as the “sun festival”, the Inti Raymi festival is a religious ceremony that dates back 500 years to the Incan Empire’s heyday, and honours one of the most venerated gods in the Inca Empire, Inti. Celebrated on the shortest day of the year, on 24 June, also known as the winter solstice, the event traditionally involved the sacrifice of an animal to ensure healthy crops. The sacrifice was banned by the Spaniards, and today the festival involves a procession through the streets with music, prayers, dancing, scattered flowers, with women with brooms to sweep away the evil spirits and priests and participants dressed as snakes, condors and pumas. It’s the second largest festival in South America with hundreds of thousands of people travelling to Cusco to celebrate the week-long event.