Celebrated in La Paz, Bolivia, the Fiesta de Jesus del Gran Poder or Festividad del Senor del Gran Poder, is held on the Day of the Holy Trinity. This festival incorporates different religious and festive practices from the Aymara and Catholic cultures, including the Ch'alla, the folk entrances, and the celebration of Catholic Masses.
The festival's origins date back to 1663 when the Convent of the Conceptionist Mothers was founded. Prior to the establishment of the convent, applicants had to carry an image with them, and the nun Genoveva Carrión carried a canvas of the Holy Trinity, which consisted of an image of God with three faces, and so represented the Holy Trinity; Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
In recent years, festivals are increasingly taking over public spaces such as streets and avenues, with festivals such as the Senor del Gran Poder becoming a neighborhood celebration according to the parish's founding date or in honor of a patron saint.
The Festival of the Santisima Trinidad del Senor Jesus del Gran Poder is based on a particular way of understanding and living with Andean Catholicism. The celebration begins with a procession through the western part of the city. The following day, in honor of his patron saint, the procession members carry him solemnly through the Gran Poder district; devotees celebrate with incense, flowers, and confetti.
Throughout the year fraternities prepare musical repertoires; jewelers and embroiderers transmit their know-how within their families of the Gran Poder, and devotional services, evenings, and processions are held.
These ceremonies are their own folkloric expression, preste, and also, have a syncretism with the Aymara religion and Catholicism. A public space may become a private space for the protagonists, who set up chairs and tables, dance spaces, waiters, and bodyguards.
Party venues were originally used for such events, keeping the private sphere intact. All the activities and attitudes are manifested in Andean ways. The fairs, patron saint festivities, or the beginning of planting, are done for the community, by the community. Individuals disappear replaced by the collective being, which is becoming reality: the ayllu has become a tangible organic unit, which has its own determination.
Nowadays, these events are held in public spaces and party venues are proliferating as a complementary commercial activity, an example of an agglomeration economy. However, by participating in this cathartic confluence, the community connects with itself and nature, affirming a will to live (undoubtedly, the party is aimed at ensuring collective survival).