Qhapaq Raymi is the December solstice in the Andes

The solstice is 21 December 2026 at 20:50 UTC. South of the equator that is midsummer. In the Inca calendar the feast was Qhapaq Raymi.

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Which solstice is this?

21 December 2026 at 20:50 UTC. North of the equator it is the shortest day. In the Andes it is the longest. The Inca month of that turn was Qhapaq Raymi, the great feast of the sun. Inti Raymi is the June solstice and is not this date. Some Aymara communities and the Alasitas artisans in La Paz make offerings now. There is no single 2026 civic timetable claimed on this page.

Alasitas opens on 24 January. The collection stays with the solstice and the communities that actually keep it.

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