Anatomy of an Anniversary

In the United States, Becca associated anniversaries with her parents...and not much else. While she knew that every building had an anniversary of its inauguration, and every event an anniversary of its day, and every person an anniversary of their birth---wait, that’s a birthday....anyway, anniversaries were a very different thing in Peru. 

The anniversary of the Health Center was a classic example of the day-long festivities of an anniversary celebration.

First there was the misa, or church service, held in the Catholic church a couple of blocks from the Health Center. The padre gave a sermon about the importance of good health and good health services in the community, blessed the bouquets that the Health Center would display with the Virgin María statue.

As ends all moments, both major and minor, their were boatloads of photos with the Virgin.

The statue, with all of it’s adornments, was then carried to the Health Center where it would be displayed and kept safe for the year.

Therein began round one of dancing in celebration before breakfast was served.

Post-lunch came round two of dancing in celebration...

After nearly an hour of dancing, the finger foods were served, the celebration songs sung, the speeches given, more photos were taken, and, you guessed it, there was more dancing.

This continued throughout the day adding on more dancing and drinking and dancing and drinking and dancing and...well you get it. Open, ready, and full of amazing health professionals, the Health Center in Morrope was heading into it’s 42nd year.