On the Day of Mother Earth, followers go to high elevations to burn wood stacks with animal fat, colored paper and sweets to thank Pachamama.
At this year's celebration, which fell on Sunday, snow covered the ground near La Paz. People were bundled in warm coats and wore face masks against the spread of COVID-19.
The centuries-old tradition, which extends from northern Argentina and Chile to Peru and Bolivia, is celebrated with offerings that can include sheep fetuses, desiccated llamas, medicinal plants, eggs, minerals and even live animals that are sacrificed for the favor of the goddess.
High atop the Andes Mountains in Bolivia, indigenous people gathered at dawn for a ritual ceremony in honor of Pachamama, the goddess of Earth and fertility, with fires and offerings.
On the Day of Mother Earth, followers go to high elevations to burn wood stacks with animal fat, colored paper and sweets to thank Pachamama.
At this year's celebration, which fell on Sunday, snow covered the ground near La Paz. People were bundled in warm coats and wore face masks against the spread of COVID-19.
The centuries-old tradition, which extends from northern Argentina and Chile to Peru and Bolivia, is celebrated with offerings that can include sheep fetuses, desiccated llamas, medicinal plants, eggs, minerals and even live animals that are sacrificed for the favor of the goddess.
