The Maya New Year was ushered in with a sacred fire lighting ceremony, a ritual of gratitude for another year of life.
On July 26, 2024, the Maya community in Yucatán bid farewell to the outgoing "Year of the Snail" and welcomed the new year, known in their calendar as "Ixim". According to Emilio Chan, a Maya priest, "Ixim" signifies air, corn, and time, the three elements that the year embodies.
The ceremony took place at the archaeological park of "Chen-Hó" in Mérida, a site that was once a Maya settlement over 1,200 years ago. This sacred fire lighting is a deeply spiritual act, intended to bring healing, protection, prosperity, and well-being to both individuals and the community.
Tiburcio Can, a Maya spiritual guide, explained, "This ritual is our way of expressing gratitude to the creator for the joy of another year of life". Following a traditional Maya ball game, the Maya priests, or X´menes, lit the fire to mark the beginning of the new 365-day cycle. They then played the snail, the tunkul, flute and drums in honor of the God "Hunap Kú", and everyone lit their candles from the new fire.
According to Maya belief, only 13 Baktún, or 5,126-year cycles, have passed. The 14th Baktún commenced on December 21, 2012, marking just 12 years into this new era. The new fire holds significant symbolic value, embodying ancestral spirituality. It also serves as a temporal marker, lit at important moments, such as the end of each year.
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