Unsha Time

Picture a cross between a Christmas Tree and a Pinata - That is a Unsha Tree. From now until April any neighborhood in Cajamarca that wants to have an excuse for a party will put up an Unsha Tree. Right in the middle of the street. My neighborhoods' Unsha was yesterday and it was in the small park right in front of my house so there was no way I couldn't participate in the party. My neighbor was telling me that when the park was constructed, there was a small hole covered by a removal cement block stratecially placed so that every year around this time the neighborhood could place in Unsha tree right in the middle of the park and have their party.

The Unsha Tree celebration includes food and drink, but mostly drink. And then lots of dancing. The rain roofs went up around mid-day, which was unofficially when the party started. Throughout the early afternoon hours neighbors took turns carefully placing their gifts on the tree. Gifts ranged from bandanas, oranges, plastic jugs, hats, small brooms, t-shirts, etc.....I contributed with a pack of cards. Pictures here you can see the boys taking their "placement" job, with a long piece of cane, very seriously.
When the sunset, the party goers began dancing around the tree. The Hachet came out and neighbors took turns trying to chop down the tree. I took my turn to chop too. The kids chop, the adults chop, the grandparents chop. It is a very inclusive event. And after you take your chop turn you have to say what you will put on the tree next year. This gets recorded in a very official notebook. Well, after all that chopping, eventually the tree breaks, falls, and everyone in sight runs to gather whatever goodies they can from the tree. I ran the other way because I didn't want to get trappeled, so I didn't get any goodies. That's OK, I got a night of dancing under the Unsha tree, which was enough for me.