Celebrate tradition and culture at the Tapati Festival with Anakena - Natural Cosmetics

Each February, the remote and mystical island of Rapa Nui (Easter Island) comes alive with the TĀPATI Festival, an authentic celebration of Polynesian culture and traditions. This year, the festival will delight us from February 9 to 17, 2024 and will offer a unique insight into the island's rich heritage.
At Anakena – Natural Cosmetics, a brand born in Rapa Nui, we believe in the importance of celebrating natural beauty and cultural traditions, values that are deeply connected to the spirit of Tapati. “Tapati Rapa Nui” is not just a festival, but also a demonstration of the community’s commitment to its heritage and history, manifested through ancestral sports, crafts, and artistic performances that highlight the symbiotic relationship between man and nature.

★ A competition that celebrates culture ★
Tapati Rapa Nui is more than a festival; it is a traditional competition in which clans select candidates for the title of Queen based on their performance in various cultural events. One of the highlights of the festival is the “Tau'a Rapa Nui,” a triathlon in which islanders demonstrate their physical prowess and deep connection to their environment. Participants compete in a rowing race in reed boats, run carrying banana plants, and finally swim on small reed canoes, demonstrating their skills and strength passed down from generation to generation.

★ Arts and crafts ★
The festival also features a showcase of traditional arts and crafts, with competitions in mahute tailoring (the bark of the Morus papyrifera plant is used to make cloth), stone and wood carving, and traditional costume and necklace making. These activities not only celebrate the artistic talent of the Rapanui people, but also emphasize the sustainable use of natural materials, a principle that coincides with Anakena - Natural Cosmetics' commitment to ecological beauty.

An evening of dance and storytelling
When the sun sets, Tapati transforms into an impressive dance and music spectacle. “Takona,” body painting with natural pigments, and “Kai Kai,” a narrative art form using carved figures, are particularly impressive and embody the storytelling traditions of the islanders and their deep connection to their legends and history.

★ Celebrate the Tapati Festival with Anakena ★
Anakena - Natural Cosmetics, invites you to discover the magic of the Tapati Festival, a celebration where we see reflected our commitment to natural beauty, sustainability and cultural preservation. In our products, we strive to capture the essence of these ancestral traditions to bring to every corner of Chile the spirit of the culture and natural richness of Rapa Nui.

Together, let us nurture and maintain these beautiful traditions to celebrate the natural and cultural heritage that makes our world so wonderfully diverse.