Mexica New Years

Every culture seems to have its own version of when the year ends and the new one begins. It’s fascinating to look into these dates because they all have their own reasons and traditions behind the specific day that they have chosen.

The Mayans believe that the new year begins on March 11th.

I am lucky enough that my city has a vibrant community of Mayan and Aztec dancers who keep up with the traditions and grace us with their celebrations and dances for events like this.

Our local park is Ground Zero for all of the local tribes and groups to gather and celebrate the new year with anyone who wishes to participate. Unfortunately, because of regulations, they can only celebrate it on the closest Saturday to March 11.

I have attended the celebration a couple of times and it has always been incredible. People are always happy to spread love, joy, and tradition to anyone who is willing to take some time and join the celebration.

You always see new people because there are always different groups who participate in the event. Sometimes tribes come from long distances and sometimes it’s just the locals, but it’s always a mix of new and familiar faces.

With some food vendors and some clothing vendors, there is a good mix of other activities to do besides the main dance towards the end of the event.

The entire grassland is cordoned off and prepared spiritually for the dancers to participate in the rituals and dances of the coming year. It’s a beauty to behold.

With vibrant colors, feathers as long as branches on a tree, the dancers are dressed proudly, making them look stunning.

There’s purifying smoke from incense to ward off evil spirits, flowers that represent life and death, and small monuments to honor the ones who have passed on to the next world.

As the drums begin to beat, you can feel a change in the atmosphere. The sound thumping against your chest, and the rhythm of the chants is enough to make anyone stop, listen, and admire the beauty that this culture has to offer.

I never really know how long the ceremony lasts because you get engulfed in the dance. Once it’s over, you can’t help but wish that it lasted a little bit longer.

The last dance is done right as the sun is setting and marks the end of the ceremony.

With that, people walk around and engage in conversation, catching up with old friends and making new acquaintances. People from the community approach the microphone to sing and play instruments while the rest of the attendees clean and leave the park better than when they arrived.

And with that, everyone says goodbye and we all look forward to next year.