Miniatures, faith and fortune: Bolivia opens iconic Alasitas fair - Video
Bolivians gathered in La Paz on Saturday to inaugurate the traditional Alasitas Fair, a centuries-old tradition centred on faith in Ekeko, the Andean god of abundance.
During the celebration, people buy miniature versions of everyday items, believing they can help attract prosperity and good fortune when blessed through ritual practices.
Footage from the fair shows stalls filled with tiny replicas of houses, cars, buildings, money and household goods, as visitors browse, purchase and prepare the miniatures for ceremonial blessings. The objects represent personal wishes, ranging from home ownership to financial stability.
“There are little cars, buildings, and money. So everything you can desire you can buy, and later you smoke it so that a year later it is fulfilled. But there always has to be faith,” said Giovana Quispe, a vendor at the fair.
As part of the Andean ritual, participants light incense, attach miniature accessories to figures and pour alcoholic drinks over statues of Ekeko as offerings while asking for blessings and good fortune. The Alasitas Fair was recognised by UNESCO in 2017 as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
This story is written and edited by the Global South World team, you can contact us here.
