Santa Rosa de Lima is a national holiday in Peru celebrated on August 30th every year. It honors Saint Rose of Lima, the patron saint of Peru and the indigenous people of the Americas. Saint Rose was born in Lima in 1586 and devoted her life to serving the Church and aiding others. After her death on August 24, 1617, she was recognized as the first saint in the Americas. On this day, a religious procession takes place from the Church and Convent of Santo Domingo, where the remains of the saint are kept, to Lima’s Cathedral. Visiting the Church and Sanctuary of Saint Rose is also a common practice. This holiday exemplifies religious devotion and teaches abstinence from physical and sexual needs, as Saint Rose rejected sex and certain foods.