Focus on Mexico Blog

Our participants on the March 20, 2007 program had a very special treat in store for them. We spent the evening of March 21 at Monte Coxala ushering in spring. The Spring Equinox celebrates the renewed life of the Earth that comes with the spring. It is a solar festival, celebrated when the length of the day and the night are equal (this happens twice a year, at spring and autumn equinox).

The equinox is very special in Mayan history. The Mayans planned their lives around the sun; their daily lives centered on the sowing and harvesting of their crops, especially corn. At the spring equinox they planted the crops, and the fall equinox was their signal to begin the harvest.

It was a glorious night…not too cool; not too warm. Almost everyone was dressed in white…we had contacted our participants beforehand to make sure they brought some white (or cream-colored) clothing with them.