02/01/2026
January, in many parts of the world its the time to slow down and let the winter whisk you away. In South-America its summer and festival time. There are a lot of ancient, aswell as more commercial festivals.
One that sounds like an amazing tradition to honor life and earth is the Fiesta de la Santa Tierra (Festival of the Sacred Land)which is an ancient, culturally significant event held annually on Amantaní Island in Lake Titicaca, Peru. The main event occurs on the third Thursday of January.
Fiesta de la Santa Tierra is a vital expression of the living Inca and pre-Inca culture, where locals express gratitude to the Earth and seek a bountiful harvest for the year ahead 🙏
The most notable aspect of this festival is the rare opening of the ancient Mother Earth (Pachamama) and Father Earth (Pachatata) temples located on the island's two high peaks. These temples are closed to the public for the rest of the year.
During the festival the population split in two -- half at the Temple of Pachamama and the other half at the Temple of Pachatata (on Amantani's other peak), symbolizing the islanders' ancient dualistic belief system. A representative of each group will race to a point between the two. According to tradition, a victory for Pacha Mama means a bountiful harvest for the coming season.
