Jujuy la tierra, los salares, sus selvas y sus frutos.
“ THE PACHAMAMA”
The Pachamama is the most popular mythological belief of Inca origin that firmly
survived in some regions of our province. The missionaries were not able to eradicate
neither the presence of the Pachamama (Mother Earth) in the spiritual life of
native communities, nor the ritual manifestations through which the Pachamama
is venerated.
In Jujuy, people from rural areas that vividly profess the catholic faith continue
venerating the Pachamama the same way their ancestors did centuries ago. The
ceremonies in honor to the Pachamama take place at different times: at the beginning
and at the end of the harvesting period, or in the rural celebrations at which
farmers mark their livestock. But the main homage is held on August, especially
on August 1st. The ceremony begins early in the morning when people perfume their
houses with aromatic smoke. By midday, family, friends, and neighbors get together
at a house. After they greet and welcome one another, they share a lunch. The
expected ceremony comes right after lunch: They move to the courtyard where they
dig a hole. Then they feed the Mother Earth with food, drinks, coca leaves, alcohol,
and cigarettes. Finally, bottles of wine and alcohol are buried and the hole
is closed. To finish the ceremony, all the participants hold their hands as expression
of fraternity, and dance around the close hole singing coplas at the rhythm of
the caja.
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This page is adapted from:
Secretariat of Tourism and Culture of the Province of Jujuy
295 Gorriti St - San Salvador de Jujuy -
Zip Code 4600 - Argentina
Tel/Fax:(0054) 0388-4221343/26
FreeCall: 0800-555-9955