To celebrate the 60th anniversary, we decided to make matching jackets for all the staff. We didn’t make the jackets at the expense of the Ministry of Culture or Paracas Museum. Each person put their own money in to make them. We had a serious discussion, starting with the question, what kind of matching clothes should we wear as well as which colors and which logo should we use? Out of that discussion, we decided to put the museum logo with a white base to stand out on the back of the black jacket, and the person's given name and surname initial (in my case, SHOKO. Y) on the left side of the chest. Surprisingly, we had the discussion only 3 days before the 60th anniversary. We put in an order to our colleague Jose’s acquaintance, who managed to get them made in time. (What quick work!) As you might expect, the question of how many connections you have is important in this country. There are a lot of things you can't understand unless you actually experience them, so every day I feel the need to visit all sorts of places and expand my connections.
On the day of the 60th anniversary, we were busy with this and that from early on, just one activity after the other. First, all the staff gathered in front of the museum entrance, raised the Peruvian flag, and sang the national anthem. When you sing the national anthem in chorus, you put your right hand on the left side of your chest and sing with your eyes fixed on the rising flag. After singing the national anthem, we clapped, and then carried on.
By the way, they say the Peruvian national anthem was written by José de la Torre Ugarte, who is from Ica, the town where I live. The lyrics begin with the words “Somos libres” (“We are free”) because they were written when Peru gained independence from Spain. After singing the national anthem, all the staff prepared for a meal, while dealing with the guests who came one after the other to express their congratulations.
We also received a whole cake, something you need at every celebration in Peru. After the meal, we performed a ceremony called “El pago a la tierra” (“Payment to Mother Earth”). This is a custom practiced by the Andean people, a ritual in which various offerings are made to thank the earth for its bounty and to satisfy its hunger and thirst. Since ancient times, there has been the belief that the earth dries out in August, so it must be nourished. The format differs slightly depending on the region and the people performing the ceremony, but on this occasion, the ceremony was performed in the following order.
(1) Decide where to dig a hole, place offerings on top of a piece of cloth, and dig a hole using a shovel.
(2) Once the hole is more or less large enough, place some pieces of burning wood, flowers, and coca leaves in it as offerings.
(3) While chewing coca leaf in your mouth, take some pisco (liquor) in your mouth, and after a while, take it out.
(4) Light a cigarette, draw in some smoke, then blow it from your mouth into the hole.
(5) Place lit cigarettes around the hole.
(6) Then offer chocolate, candy, and pisco inside the hole.
(7) After putting all the offerings in the hole, light and burn the offerings, then everyone surrounds the hole holding hands in a circle and prays with eyes closed for a little while.
(8) Last, fill in the hole with stones and sand, returning the earth to its original appearance.
I was wondering why you smoke a cigarette in this ceremony when I came up with my own explanation, “Ah. Maybe the incense sticks in Japan and the cigarettes play the same role...?" and a sense of familiarity with the ceremony welled up inside me. The 60th anniversary events came to an end with this age-old ritual. I thought that anniversary events sure do come in different forms, and seeing as I happened to be there at the 60th anniversary, I would like to do my best and live to see the 100th anniversary. Well, here’s where I say “Adios!” This has been Shoko Yamamoto from Paracas, Peru.
