Today, the first of August we celebraste the Day of the Pachamama. In the city of Cusco it is a custom every year. Families receive this day by cleaning their homes, scattering yellow confetti in every corner as a symbol of harmony and of renewing the energies of the home and family. On the other hand this day is considered as the beginning of the Andean New Year.
By Saqsayhuaman, behind the white Christ,a ceremony was carried out for the day of our Mother Earth. People arrived to be part of the ceremony beginning at 10 AM. Those responsible began by preparing the space where the ceremony was to be carried out. There you found the altar of offerings. It was a big hole they had dug in the earth surrounded by a line of yellow confetti and also a pile of wood to burn the offerings.
On the ground were two large cloths in multiple colors which they called the altar of offerings. There, thèy began accumulating he products that people brought on thanksgiving to the Mother Earth. The goods that arrived were from different regions. From the coast you could see wine, grapes, and sea shells. from the jungle there was much fruit and from the highland you could see potatoes, corn, chute bread, and coca leaves that drew people together with the Earth in the ceremony.
There also were a great variety of sweets, cookies. Chocolates, cigarettes, and more in different brands. people also brought incense,flowers of many different colors, and varieties of scotch broom, kantu flowers, and rue. There was also drink: chic have, beer, juice, wine and more. Finally there was coca all over the cloth.
The main act was performed at 12,midday, to the sound of putouts, native horns. People gathered around the area to enjoy the ceremony of payment to the earth. All of the offerings that people brought in pay enters la commodities on then wood, along with incense, flower water, and palo santo, holy wood.
After sharing yellow confetti with everyone, and handfuls of coca leaves, the offerings were fired. Everything was burned as an offering to the Pacha Mama.
People then made a line to make their individual offerings within the hole. Everyone odor de a k’intu of three coca leaves to thank the earth, make their petitions, and then they left the hole.
Once all the offerings were within the hole, they covered it with earth to end the payment to the Pacha Mama. That is how we experienced this important ritual to our Mother Earth.
NB This article was originally published last year in Cusco Eats. We have repeated it in honor of the date and now with its original Spanish companion.
