Festivals and Celebrations

Day of the Pachamama

On August 1th in the province of Jujuy, Argentina is celebrated the Day of the Pachamama. This is the most popular celebration of the indigenous peoples in Latin America. The day celebrates mother earth: “Pacha” in aimara and quechua means earth, world, universe.

In this celebration people make offerings to celebrate nature but this offerings depends on the region they are made. For example in Salta the ceremony aims to remind that all creations comes from the Earth. But it’s also characteristic that residents turn a smudging to scare the possible evils that have been in their homes.

On the other hand in the province of Jujuy after a community food, people dig a hole and give food and drink to the Pachamama.

They put coca leaves, chicha, alcohol and cigarettes. To complete the ceremony the presents take their hands to express the spirit of brotherhood that prevails and dance around the hole to the sound of the box, flute and the copla.

In all cases the rituals are in charge of the elderly in the community.

The carnival of Humahuaca

The carnival is a popular celebration that takes place at the beginning of the cuaresma. To start the celebration they dig up a small puppet (Pujllay) that imitates a devil and symbolises the sun, who is in charge of  fertilizing the Earth (Pachamama).

There is dance and music performed with native instruments like erkenchos, the anatas, the charangos and bombos.

The inhabitants wear colorful costumes using bells and masks, they also have fun painting their face with flour and pulling with talc and serpentine while partitioning sprigs of Basil.

The tradition is reminiscent of indigenous, Spanish and Creole.

The celebration ends the "Sunday of temptation", with the "funeral" of the devil, in a pit which represents the mouth of Pachamama, along with cigarettes, coca, streamers and chicha. Typical food like empanadas, sheep, goat cheese, and drinks like chicha among other things are then tested, and then they pray so there is fun again the following year.