Featured Post: Something About Traditions
Original: ALGO SOBRE LAS COSTUMBRES Y TRADICIONES
In Aymara: Coming Soon
El Alto is a city filled with traditions. On the 24th of this month, Alasitas is celebrated with a lot of faith and hope for the new year. Alasitas is a fair with vendors who sell miniature articles. The story is that if you purchase on January 24th at 12:00, then all of the things you wanted to acquire during the year that the god Ekeko will provide it to you in abundance.
The Ekeko is a small chubby character with a mustache. He is holding anything that you can imagine and for that reason he is the god of abundance. Countless number of legends surround the Ekeko.
My grandfather told me one of these stories, and it goes like this: On the eve of January 24, a couple along with their son and his wife were hurried. For one, they were manufacturers of miniature objects to see at Alasitas. In addition, the son had suffered an accident and his wife was due to give birth precisely on those days. For those reason, they could not finish the order of the miniatures. One night an older, chubby man named Pancho knocked on their door. He asked if he could stay the night at the family’s home. The family had always been very generous with others and let the man stay the night. During conversation, the they talked about their work and the problem that they were facing. The guest offered to help. While the daughter-in-law gave birth, Pancho had finished all of the orders for Alasitas. When the family arrived home, they were surprised of what had happened and reaffirmed their belief in Alasitas. Ekeko really existed and was the visitor.
