A group led by Tiburcio Nac observed the coming of the Maya New Year with a sacred fire ceremony.
The ceremony occurred Wednesday at the archaeological park of Chen Hó in Mérida’s east.
Most of the participants wore white garb with a red band around their waists and took part in chanting and singing.
The ceremony began with a ritual honoring the seven cardinal points central to Maya cosmology and then moved on to the lighting of a bonfire, which symbolized the new year.
During the ceremony, Tiburcio Nac made reference to the fact that he saw the coming year to be full of challenges, including a potentially large hurricane arriving on the Peninsula in August.
These types of Maya rituals have been gaining popularity in Mesoamerica during the past years, especially among new-age groups.
The historical authenticity of the tradition is questioned by most scholars of Maya culture.
“A ceremony or renewal was indeed witnessed and documented in the 16th century on July 26, but because the Maya calendar does not function in exactly the same way as our own, it is a mistake to think that this ceremony would be performed every July 26, or even that it necessarily refers to the coming of a new year,” said Archeologist Eduardo Puga.
Similar ceremonies are practiced at archaeological sites across Mexico, though permits to light bonfires for these sorts of rituals are “not given out lightly,” according to the park rangers in attendance.
In many ways, this New Year Sacred Fire ceremony shared features with larger gatherings at archaeological sites such as Chichén Itzá and Dzibilchaltún during the autumn equinox, though on a much smaller scale.
Some who showed up lived in the area and came to see what the commotion was all about.
“The event is nice, but honestly, we have no idea what this sort of thing is about,” said Yoselin G., a resident of Fraccionamiento del Parque, where Chen Hó is located.
Tiburcio Nac, who also goes by the name Yaax Kin, also officiates Maya ceremonies such as the Hetzmek (Maya baptism) and weddings in México and abroad.
Several of the attendees were hesitant to be interviewed after the ceremony.
“I am just here for the good energy,” said a Houston man who lives part-time in Mérida.
