Maya communities hold traditional Bix ritual in Quintana Roo

Felipe Carrillo Puerto, Quintana Roo — Maya communities across central Quintana Roo have concluded their Day of the Dead cycle with the traditional Bix (also written Biix), the ritual farewell to the visiting souls who are believed to return only once a year.

While urban areas throughout Mexico have already shifted into Christmas mode, Maya towns in the Zona Maya — including Sacalaca, Señor, Tihosuco, and several neighborhoods of Felipe Carrillo Puerto — continue observing a deeply rooted calendar that extends long after the national Día de Muertos festivities end on November 2. In Maya culture, the visit of the pixanes (souls) spans several weeks, beginning with Hanal Pixán and culminating in Bix, the moment the spirits depart.

A Ritual of Farewell and Food

The Bix ceremony centers on preparing foods believed to accompany the souls on their return journey. According to tradition, these offerings must be solid, long-lasting foods—especially:

• Píib-baked tamales (píibil waaj)
• Chachakwaj (a type of dry seasoned corn preparation)
• Traditional Maya sweets
• Toasted or dried foods meant to “travel well”

Research by INAH and UIMQROO notes that these foods symbolize sustenance for the journey back to the spiritual realm. They are placed on altars alongside candles, embroidered cloths, jícaras, and photographs.

Local resident Rafael Ek, who documented the celebration, explained:
“Bix, farewell of the souls — U waajil ti’al u bin le pixano’ob — the food for the departure of the spirits. Finados ends, but the memory of our loved ones remains forever.”

Cultural Events Surrounding the Ritual

At the Universidad Intercultural Maya de Quintana Roo (UIMQROO), students prepared ceremonial foods and hosted a series of cultural activities:

• Conference: “Life and Death: Mortuary Rituals of Sacalaca, Quintana Roo,” presented by anthropologist Ismael Briceño Mukul, highlighting the continuity of Maya funerary and commemorative customs.
• Dialogue table: Tsikbalil Pixano’ob, a community conversation about the significance of the ritual.
• Exhibition: Altars from the Biix Pixan, showcasing traditional designs from different Maya towns.

A Month-Long Spiritual Cycle

Anthropologists emphasize that in Maya tradition, death is not an end but a cyclical return. Unlike Mexico’s nationwide two-day observance, the Maya Day of the Dead season is nearly a month long, with the belief that souls remain close to their families until the Bix ceremony formally sends them home.

A Living Tradition

This year’s Bix gatherings brought together families, students, researchers, and elders around altars, ancient foods, spoken histories, and communal reflection — reaffirming a tradition that has survived colonization, modernization, and the pressures of tourism.

In Felipe Carrillo Puerto and neighboring Maya towns, the Bix ritual continues to be one of the most meaningful and enduring expressions of identity, memory, and cultural resilience in Quintana Roo.