The Festival of Urküpiña A “Sacred” Mix
It all begins with a nine mile pilgrimage to a mountaintop outside the city of Cochabamba. An estimated 300,000 people from around the world make the journey every year. Although seemingly harmless to outsiders, this festival entwines ancient Andean rituals with Church practice, and succeeds in deceiving the majority of the culture.
The pilgrimage signifies a sacrifice which the Virgin will hopefully recognize and bless. Along the way, vendors market thousands of “alacitas” which the people purchase with care. These miniature caricatures of nearly anything imaginable (houses, cars, food, money, documents, etc.), signify the specific blessings which the people hope to receive.
At the top of the peak you enter into another world. Dust clouds billow and mass-confusion abounds. Trumpets blare off-key, drumbeats pound incessantly, alcohol and incense permeate the air. Among the masses, colorful Aymara ladies dance around small plots of land, others hammer away at the rocks, while the witchdoctors perform their rituals. Families from every economic and educational level participate. It is an amazing site!
Hundreds of years ago, the people believe the Virgin first appeared at this site to a few shepherding children. The people return each year to meet her again. They bring their alacitas and petition her blessings for the coming year. The “shaman,” or witchdoctor is asked to perform the ritual blessings.
The ritual begins with an offering to “Pachamama,” or Mother Earth, by sprinkling beer or holy water on the ground. Then one begins hammering out a piece of rock, which will serve as a yearly reminder of the event. The next year, the rock is to be returned.
The shaman then blesses the items. Incense and alcohol are used as a purification rite. Firecrackers frighten away the bad spirits and a small bell invites the presence of good spirits. Adorned with beer, confetti and streamers, the participants attend Mass and then trek home with their goods and high hopes for the coming year.
This is the culture we are getting to know, a receptive culture of great hope and deep faith. As one observer commented, “The people have an incredible capacity to believe, which just needs to be redirected.”
Please pray that the uniqueness of Christ would prevail over “popular religiosity.” Pray that the Bolivians would break free from their deeply embedded cultural beliefs, which are inconsistent with Scripture. And finally pray for us as we seek to exemplify and communicate Christ from within these walls.
Please Pray…
- That we will find the housing we need
- For our understanding and capability in language learning
- For our spiritual protection and discernment
- For the salvation of many we encounter daily: friends, family members, students and teachers
- For the many who wander our streets hungry and tired each day
A FEW ADJUSTMENTS…
- Cobblestone streets
- Eucalyptus trees
- Dry, dry air
- “Machismo”
- Rice and potatoes with nearly every meal
- Milk that comes in bags
- “Rubbery” meat
- Street vendors
- Shoe shine boys
- Public transportation
- Lots of stray dogs in the streets
- Showers without shower curtains (the whole bathroom just gets wet!)
- Public bathrooms without toilet paper
- Slow computer modems
- A loss of personal space and privacy
Quick Facts
5 The number of hours we study Spanish everyday
6.5 The number of Bolivianos equal to $1
9 The number of people living in our house
10 The number of blocks we walk to school everyday
15 The number of countries represented by our student body
1,000 The estimated number of prostitutes working in El Alto
8,500 Our current elevation in Cochabamba