Greetings in Peru are quite important! For women, between friends, whether male or female, it is normal to give a kiss on the cheek (air kiss). If they are close friends or family this is usually accompanied by a hug. Between men, the greeting is normally a handshake with a pat on the back or a one-armed hug. This is usually paired with an hola and buenos días (good morning) if it’s before noon, or buenas tardes (good afternoon/evening) if it’s between noon and 7pm. It is also common to ask cómo estás? for how are you? (or cómo está if formal) or a qué tal? for how’s it going? To talk to people older than you, it is a sign of respect to address them as señor or señora before their first name.
The beliefs of modern Peruvians have deep roots in Inca stories and legends. One example is the respect for high mountain peaks, which are considered sacred and believed to be the homes of powerful spirits called apus. Today people make offerings to the apus by gathering food, drink, coca leaves, and other plants as a symbol of gratitude for all that the spirits provide. There are also many ancient rituals around Mother Earth. The rituals are done on August 1st, which is a special day. On this day, there are massive ceremonies, offerings and rituals, following the Andean practice of ayni , or giving back to the earth goddess.
Peru's official languages are Spanish and, in certain areas, Quechua and other Indigenous languages. Spanish is spoken natively by 82.6% of the population, Quechua by 13.9%, and Aymara by 1.7%, while other languages are spoken by the remaining 1.8%.
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