At the Alasitas fair in La Paz, Bolivia, people carry miniatures of the things they hope for in the year ahead. A tiny paper diploma is one of them, taken on 24 January to be prayed over.
Record, Folk and Modern are kept apart, and each one carries its source.
Alasitas is a fair of miniatures in La Paz, Bolivia, held from 24 January. In 2017 UNESCO added it to its list of intangible cultural heritage.
To verify: When miniature diplomas first appear at the fair
On 24 January people take their miniatures to be prayed over, each one carrying a wish for the year ahead. Little paper diplomas are among them. The same fair honours Ekeko, the god of abundance, who has his own page in this atlas.
To verify: Who says the prayers over the miniatures: a priest, a yatiri, or both; What a miniature diploma is hoped for, in a source’s own words: a school place, a degree or a profession
Alasitas is a living festival in Bolivia. A miniature diploma is a wish made small, not a degree, and we promise nothing about one. If we ever show a real one, we will name the La Paz maker who made it.
