Pachamama Day: An ancient festival that connects us to the spiritual force of Mother Earth

Published at: 01/08/2025 12:06 PM

Pachamama Day, or Great Mother Earth Day, is celebrated on August 1. This is the most popular celebration of the native peoples of Latin America.

The celebration is held to thank, ask for and bless the fruits that Pachamama offers us.

“Pacha” means universe, world, time, place, while “Mama” means mother.

Andean belief mentions that these 20 days are the time of adoration to Mother Earth, a time of gratitude for the crops and the good weather, for the animals and the abundance of the soil. For this reason, on the first day of this month, the ritual of gratitude to the earth is revived, a rite that survived Spanish colonization and crossed borders.

Faith centered on Pachamama coexists in many cases with Christianity. Syncretism then occurs between beliefs: for example, in Bolivia, Pachamama is identified with the Virgin of Copacabana in La Paz, and the Virgin of the Socavón in Oruro. In Peru, Pachamama is identified with the Virgin of Candelaria.

The Pachamama festival encompasses the concept of ending cycles, renewing and starting new projects and is a ritual of thanking the Earth for its protection and what it offers daily.

The rituals of this tradition varied over time, taking different forms and being enriched by the cultural, historical and social legacies of different communities. Thus, according to the ancient customs of each people, the mode of celebration changes.

Mazo News Team