Passage
Festival en Bolivia
Teresa and I often chat in our bedrooms about the things we miss about home. There is one special event she misses a lot and that I hope I get to experience one day. One of the things I would most like to see in Boliva is the Aymara Festival of Abundance, also called the Feria de Alasitas. This is an annual festival that takes place in La Paz. It lasts one month and usually starts in January.
The idea behind the festival is to honor the god of abundance of the Aymara people, Ekeko. The Aymara are the indigenous people of the Andes and Altiplano areas of Bolivia, Peru, and Chile. The origins of the festival come from an Aymara tradition of praying for crops and trading goods. The people would make miniature replicas of what they wished for and presented them to the gods.
Now, the festival celebrates this tradition with a mix of Catholic elements. You can go to the festival and buy miniature cars, cameras, or houses from the multiple vendor stalls and then have them blessed by priests at the cathedral. Then you can present the miniatures to Ekeko with the hope that you will have the good fortune to receive them in the coming year. Teresa says that one year she presented a miniature cell phone and her wish came true a few weeks later!
During the festival, you can see Andean priests chanting while incense burns around them. You can shop and eat in the plaza. You can order a fermented drink called chicha that is made from corn, quinoa, or nuts. This drink was used in ancient times as a way to communicate with the spirits.
I would love to attend this festival and take in the culture, both new and old, of the Bolivian people. And who knows? Maybe my wish for a new camera and computer might come true as well!
Use the space provided to write five facts about the festival based on the information from the passage.
1. The Aymara Festival of Abundance, also known as the Feria de Alasitas, takes place annually in La Paz, Bolivia and lasts for one month starting in January.
2. The festival is a celebration of the god of abundance of the Aymara people, Ekeko, and honors the Aymara tradition of praying for crops and trading goods by making miniature replicas of desired items.
3. The festival includes a mix of Aymara indigenous traditions and Catholic elements, with attendees able to buy miniature items such as cars, cameras, and houses from vendor stalls and have them blessed by priests at the cathedral.
4. Chicha, a fermented drink made from corn, quinoa, or nuts, is served during the festival. This drink was historically used as a way to communicate with spirits in ancient times.
5. Attendees can witness Andean priests chanting, incense burning, and enjoy shopping and eating in the plaza as part of the festival activities. The belief is that presenting miniature items to Ekeko during the festival may lead to having those wishes granted in the upcoming year.