BOLIVIA: Bolivians go to annual festival, known as 'Alasita,' to buy tiny objects they hope will lead to the real thing

Record ID: 862865

  • Title: BOLIVIA: Bolivians go to annual festival, known as 'Alasita,' to buy tiny objects they hope will lead to the real thing
  • Date: 27th January 2012
  • Summary: LA PAZ, BOLIVIA (JANUARY 24, 2012) (REUTERS) GENERAL VIEW OF CITY VARIOUS OF MAN DRESSED AS 'EKEKO', GOD OF ABUNDANCE PEOPLE BUYING MINIATURES IN STREETS VARIOUS OF INDIGENOUS WOMAN BUYING (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) FELIPE LAURA SAYING: "I came because of my belief in January 24. Everyone takes things so they don't go without work or money this year." PEOPLE BUYING MINIATURES VARIOUS OF HOUSE AND MONEY BEING BLESSED STAND SELLING MINIATURES MINIATURE HOUSE STREET FULL OF PEOPLE MINIATURE FIGURINES OF WOMEN FOR THOSE LOOKING FOR WIVES (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) LUZMILA CALLE, VENDOR MINIATURE FIGURINES OF WOMEN, SAYING: "To make them you have sew and put on earrings, a hat, even a shawl." VARIOUS OF LAND TITLE BEING BLESSED STACK OF FALSE EUROS STAND SELLING MONEY ROOSTERS TO HELP SINGLE WOMEN GET MARRIED UNIVERSITY DEGREES STAND STAND WITH GOOD LUCK CHARMS
  • Embargoed: 11th February 2012 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Bolivia, Plurinational State Of
  • City:
  • Country: Bolivia
  • Topics: Arts / Culture / Entertainment / Showbiz,Quirky
  • Reuters ID: LVAB85OV4QFBCHGV55T0G8AVAC8H
  • Aspect Ratio:
  • Story Text: Thousands of Bolivians flooded the streets of La Paz on Tuesday (January 24) to buy miniatures of things they hope to aquire during the year.
    At the annual festival, known as 'Alasita', people buy tiny items and hope that Ekeko, the god of abundance, will recognize their offering.
    Ekeko is represented by a chubby mestizo man with miniature pendants, representing physical artifacts as well as non-tangible wants, hanging from his clothing.
    Nearly everything is on sale here, even tiny rolls of cash in euros and dollars.
    "I came because of my belief in January 24. Everyone takes things so they don't go without work or money this year," said Felipe Laura.
    Land titles and small homes are popular products, but cash in hand is getting more popular. There were even postage-stamp sized credit cards floating around this year's 'Alasita', which means 'buy me' in the native Aymara language.
    And of course people's love lives can't be left out. Single men looking to settle down bought up 'chola' dolls, representations of indigenous women with their colourful dresses and top hats.
    "To make them you have sew and put on earrings, a hat, even a shawl," said Luzmila Calle from her stand selling the dolls.
    Women looking for men buy small roosters.
    After buying the products, the tradition is to have the offerings blessed by a 'yatiry', an Aymara holyman.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2012. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
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