Feast of the Lost Child in Peru

The feast of the Niño Dulce Nombre de Jesús, also known as Niño Perdido, is a festivity that takes place in some Peruvian departments, although celebrated in different ways, as in the case of Huancavelica where the figure of the danzaste known as "Negritos", is truly outstanding. The celebration in honor of this Santo Niño is important and takes place in the days of the second week of January, although the date is movable.

There are different stories about the origin of this cult in the region of Huancavelica, however both have similar characteristics, since they talk about a child (in some cases it is said to be an image, in others a naughty child) who was the patron saint of the Ica Valley and that one day he gets lost and nobody knows where he ends up. The first legend, about the image of the child, says that at the time there were rumors that he arrived in Huancavelica, but he was never found and that in his homage the dancers called "Negritos" represent the arrival of the coastal slaves to Huancavelica in search of their "lost child". The other story says that the inhabitants of Huancavelica saw the child arrive to their lands and that they put together a rescue group to go to meet him. Both legends present the common end of a cult where the dances in homage to the little boy are present and where Los Negritos are a truly infallible element.

The Festivity Niño Dulce Nombre de Jesús y Fajardito "Niño perdido", from January 11 to 15, is composed of three activities: the arrival of Los Negritos, worship and dance. In the first staging, dancers with colorful costumes and masks arrive on steeds, bringing with them wine and fruit.

On the central day, a mass and subsequent procession is held, which is accompanied by gastronomic and handicraft fairs. At the end, the dance of Los Negritos, where the Caporal makes them dance with whips, represents the slavery period in Huancavelica. An unmissable festival for its mysticism and tradition.