LA PAZ, Bolivia — On Friday, a large number of Bolivian worshippers gathered at the municipal cemetery of La Paz to celebrate the Ñatitas festival, carrying human skulls beautifully adorned with flowers. This unique celebration has its roots deep in Andean culture, yet it remains outside the recognition of the Catholic Church.

Devotees take part in this festival with the hope of receiving blessings from the Ñatitas for health, financial prosperity, love, and various other desires. One of the skulls featured in the festival is named Mama Azapa, distinguished by her intricate braided hair. Elena Martínez, an individual identifying as an “amauta” or a Quechua priestess, shared her sentiment, stating, “She is my protector.”

Throughout the festivities, worshippers show their respect by tossing coca leaves and flowers towards the skulls and also place cigarettes in their mouths. Some skulls are styled with sunglasses and hats, while others are housed in ornate golden glass urns or creatively kept in shoe boxes adorned with decorative flowers.

This festival represents a blend of traditional Andean ancestral reverence and elements of Catholic faith. Experts note that the practice of preserving skulls dates back to pre-Columbian times, where they were often kept as trophies and displayed to represent themes of death and rebirth. According to anthropologist Milton Eyzaguirre from the National Museum of Ethnography and Folklore, in Andean philosophy, death is closely associated with life. He noted, “The deceased are underground, in the earth, that is why they are related to plants that are about to be born.”

The Ñatitas festival is not only a way to honor loved ones who have passed but also an expression of a rich cultural heritage that survives through generations, highlighting the significant relationship between the living and the deceased.