Hundreds Gather for Virgin of Copacabana Festivities in Tacna, Peru

In Tacna, Peru, hundreds of faithful attended the evening mass honoring the Virgin of Copacabana. Because of the large crowd, the mass was held outdoors in the Plaza Héroes del Alto de la Alianza, with a spacious area prepared early in the morning.

The traditional Feria de Alasitas stretched across several blocks, offering miniature items such as houses, vehicles, professional titles, and religious images. Purchasers performed a ritual of incense burning over the miniatures before presenting them to the Virgin, seeking the fulfillment of their wishes. A notable moment was the blessing of vehicles, where dozens of cars, vans, taxis and motorbikes received holy water from parish priests.

Families participated in the customs, including the blessing of new images of the Virgin and the offering of flowers and balloons. The celebrations will continue with a central mass on Tuesday, expected to draw even larger numbers of devotees from across the region.