La vida de las fiestas: ciclo ritual agrícola en una comunidad andina

Abstract

This article offers an ethnographic analysis of the agricultural ritual cycle of the Aymara community of Socoroma in northern Chile. Five festivities, Difuntos, Pachallampe, Carnavales, Cruces de Mayo and San Isidro, that structure the festive calendar and articulate relationships between humans and extra-human entities are described. The social practices deployed express a relational ontology that attunes the community with its ecological environment. The research highlights the relevance of festivals as instances of communication with vital forces that allow continuity of the community.