Pachamama Day: The Behind-the-scenes of the Festivity that Connects us with Nature

A thousand-year-old gratitude ritual; a whisper of history and tradition reflected in the north of our country; a communion among brothers from the Andean regions by which they worship what gives us everything we have: Mother Earth. In the Inca culture, Pacha is the female goddess of fertility and the Earth, who nurtures and protects human beings. Precisely for this reason, the calendar marks August 1st as the day on which we celebrate the resources it provides us with.

The rites have changed over the years, but the essence of celebration and veneration prevails in all of them. Although the Day of Pachamama is on August 1st, the festivities continue during the whole month, with different instances of gratitude ceremonies. The messages intended are the deep connection with the Earth, the opportunity to see beyond and connect with nature from the purest place, in which it restores the sacred energies in our lives, and gratitude for the home it gives us, reinforcing the commitment to take care of it.

The following are some interesting facts revolving around this cultural and social date:

The Ritual Consists of Making Offerings to Pacha

People offer Pachamama what she provides us to ask in exchange for a good year of harvest, climate, abundance of soil and animals. The ritual varies depending on the region, but, in general, the communities gather together and place embers in a clay container next to the sacred acacia koa plant, believed to be responsible for connecting the terrestrial world with the spiritual. After that, the embers are buried and covered with a blanket to begin to smoke. It is then time to offer the food: ears of maize, coca leaves, drinks, llamas and sheep’s heads and legs. The different families of the community follow the same offering process, staring at the sunrise (also called Tata Inti or Father Sun). At the end of the offerings, the same person who opened the ceremony is in charge of closing it with a white stone marking the coming years.

The Meaning of the Word Pachamama

It’s a combination of words of Quechua and Aymara origin: Mother Earth. Yet, the Earth’s name goes far beyond the literal meaning that refers to the soil or nature; Pacha means world, universe, time, era; it is the representation of everything, including time and space. In addition, it is associated with a protective deity, who nourishes and takes care of us.

Cane with Rue: the Typical Drink

The cane consists of a distillate of sugar cane molasses, and rue is a plant with healing properties. This mixture of ingredients is attributed to the Guaraní people, which resulted in a cult that has been passed down from generation to generation. Its best version is, of course, on Pachamama Day. It is deeply rooted in winter and the illnesses that come with the cold, and drinking it symbolises warding off all evils. It implies a physical and spiritual cleansing process that is taken on an empty stomach on August 1st. Three sips are enough to get started properly on Mother Earth Day.

The Celebration also Takes Place in other Latin American Countries

The Andean areas of Bolivia, Ecuador, Peru, and Chile also celebrate Pachamama, although the name given to the divinity changes depending on the territory. The meaning remains the same: celebrating a bond of reciprocity established between humanity as a whole and Mother Earth.

The Rituals Coincide with the Beginning of the Planting Season

It is not by chance, of course, given that people request to Pacha good climate conditions so that the annual crops bear fruits and the animals and herds grow healthily. In addition to the literal meaning of planting linked to the harvest, the energy of Pachamama Day also encourages a personal connection, and the material and symbolic planting season itself.