Los pastorcillos de Navidad is a Christmas tradition unique to the Amazonas region

Amazonas Region

Amazonas is a department of northern Peru bordered by Ecuador on the north and west, Cajamarca Department on the west, La Libertad Department on the south, and Loreto Department and San Martín Department on the east. Its capital is the city of Chachapoyas....

 of Peru

Peru

Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....

, in which the children of the city play a main role.

At dusk on December 24, choirs of children dressed as shepherd walk around the town singing Christmas Carols

Christmas carol

A Christmas carol is a carol whose lyrics are on the theme of Christmas or the winter season in general and which are traditionally sung in the period before Christmas.-History:...

. The children form two columns with the shepherds and the "Three Kings

Biblical Magi

The Magi Greek: μάγοι, magoi), also referred to as the Wise Men, Kings, Astrologers, or Kings from the East, were a group of distinguished foreigners who were said to have visited Jesus after his birth, bearing gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh...

", in the middle.

The girls are dressed with a skirt adorned with colorful ribbons, a blouse with spangles and a handkerchief crossing their breast, as well as a hat with shining adornments and ribbons that hang backwards. All the children shake tambourines and timbrel

Timbrel

Timbrel or tabret , the principal musical instrument of percussion of the Israelites, similar to the modern tambourine.-History:...

s to the rhythm of a dance played by a live band. At the end, four girls dressed in white carry an image of the Child Jesus

Child Jesus

The Child Jesus represents Jesus from his Nativity to age 12. At 13 he was considered to be adult, in accordance with the Jewish custom of his time, and that of most Christian cultures until recent centuries.The Child Jesus is frequently depicted in art, from around the third or fourth century...

 to the church, and put it in the manger between José

Saint Joseph

Saint Joseph is a figure in the Gospels, the husband of the Virgin Mary and the earthly father of Jesus Christ ....

 and Maria

Mary (mother of Jesus)

Mary , commonly referred to as "Saint Mary", "Mother Mary", the "Virgin Mary", the "Blessed Virgin Mary", or "Mary, Mother of God", was a Jewish woman of Nazareth in Galilee...

. Later they continue with the singings and dances during "the vigil", until the Holy Mass

Mass (liturgy)

"Mass" is one of the names by which the sacrament of the Eucharist is called in the Roman Catholic Church: others are "Eucharist", the "Lord's Supper", the "Breaking of Bread", the "Eucharistic assembly ", the "memorial of the Lord's Passion and Resurrection", the "Holy Sacrifice", the "Holy and...

starts.