ALL SAINT'S DAY

DAY OF THE DEAD NOV 1ST AND 2ND

On November 1st the dead come back to visit the living.

All Saint’s Day is the festival of the dead. Traditional beliefs say that when a person dies and the soul leaves the body it goes to one of 3 places. The first is for the privileged Hunaj Pacha. The second is where the old go and is called Kay Pacha . The third is Uqhu Pacha, where the souls live.


The first day of the holiday, Nov. 1, families prepare the masta’akus, which is Quechua for the ritual table. On this table they put the dead person’s favourite food and drinks as well as urpus (a type of pastry made during this time), fruit, flowers and candies. Throughout the day relatives and friends stop by for a tutuma (gourd drinking vessel) of chichi and they are invited to sit around the ritual table and pray for the dead. As the night progresses groups of children visit to pray and invoke the name of the dead. In return they receive fruit, bread and other small pastries

The following day, Nov. 2, in the afternoon, the family accompanies the soul back to the cemetery. They bring everything that was on the masta’aku and place it on the loved one’s tomb. Then they despedir las almas (say good by to the souls) with music and dancing.

Todos Santos begins the month of November which is famous for another tradition known as wallunk’as. These are giant swings that are set up in an empty field or lot and decorated with flowers and colourful ribbons. Young women sit in the swings and try to catch baskets of goodies with their feet as they swing through the air. While they swing the young men sing couplets and try to win the woman’s heart