Mayan Day of Thanks and New Year

The sacred Mayan calendar consists of a 260 day cycle. Two days ago was the day of thanks, where they honor a wide variety of things, everything from the wind and earth to ancestors, and fertility. Today is the Mayan new year, so other ceremonies were held all around. Most Mayan ceremonies don't allow outsiders to join, but one of the Spanish schools in town offered a ceremony for outsiders. There were a half-dozen Mayans participating, including a local Mayan priest. Because it was for outsiders, we were free to gawk, ask silly questions, have a translator, and take pictures. I would have never dared if it hadn't been in an environment like this! I got the impression that it was pretty dumbed-down for us, but there was still some really interesting content.

There was a surprising amount of focus on fertility. The ceremony mentioned corn, and harvests, as well as women being sources of fertility. There were moments to give thanks for all of those things. The sacred holding of fertility made me wonder if the families who have so many children actually do so out of more than just lack of access to birth control measures.

The ceremony consisted of symbolically placing things into the fire at specific times, as prayers of thanks for each thing were offered. There was a discussion of the concept of the four corners of the earth meaning more than just inside those corners, but also what was outside. That same concept of inside-and-outside of corners was also shifted onto our bodies and ourselves.

As beautiful as the ideas were, I still couldn't quite get past the idea that the ceremony was being put on for our sakes. But I appreciated the opportunity to see what we otherwise wouldn't have been allowed to see.