It’s 5:30 in the afternoon here in Lima, and the Peruvian version of Halloween is underway. In my neighborhood of Miraflores, the holiday consists of big groups of kids running through the streets screaming “Halloween! Halloween!” Some are wearing costumes, but many aren’t. Every child has a bag for candy, though. When the children ring the [...]
Happy Halloween, Peruvian-style
October 31st, 2008 · 15 Comments · Daily Life in Lima, Festivals, Sacred Rituals, Religion
Tags: Halloween
Clarification: It’s called “skitching” (that bombero thing)
October 31st, 2008 · 2 Comments · Traffic & Accidents in Lima
I knew there was a word for catching a ride on the back of a moving vehicle: It’s ”skitching,” as I’ve just found out. I posted on some skitchers in northern Peru in ”Dangerous Skateboarding in Peru” (October 30). Skateboaders in North America skitch rides mainly for the thrill of it, but in Peru, kids do it out of necessity. Skitching [...]