Aztec New Year– March 12, 2022

Aztec New Year in Mexico falls on March 12 every year. It represents the start of the New Year according to the Aztec calendar. Aztec New Year celebrates an ancient culture whose concepts still find resonance today.

HISTORY OF AZTEC NEW YEAR
Falling on March 12 each year, the Aztec New Year commemorates the start of the year according to the Aztec Calendar. It’s a date with plenty of importance, customs, and events.
The vacation is unique to Nahua communities in Mexico– groups of indigenous people who live in Mexico and parts of El Salvador. The Nahua neighborhoods today speak a mix of both Nahuatl and Spanish.

They followed the Mexica or Aztec calendar– a 365-day calendar cycle making up 2 parts that ran at the same time. The very first was the year count or xiuhpohualli.

Yancuic Xihuitl events today usually happen the night previously, on March 11. Expectedly, the events are magnificent. Cities like Nuapan, Huauchinango, Xicotepec, Zongolica, and Mexico City arrange various events on this day.

Events commence with ritualistic dances and tunes set to the beat of conventional drums. People present seeds as offerings and light ‘ocote’ or pitch-pine candle lights that produce fragrant and incredibly flammable resin.

Towards the end of the event, individuals burn a flag representing the year gone by and perfume a replacement flag. Finally, they welcome the New Year by blowing into conch shells– the same way their forefathers used to centuries ago.

AZTEC NEW YEAR TIMELINE
1101 A.D.– 1200 A.D
. The Rise Of an Empire
The Aztec individuals move from the Northern Mexican plateau into Mesoamerica.

1427 A.D.– 1479 A.D
. The Makings Of ‘Piedra del Sol’
The Aztecs carve a huge calendar stone portraying astrological and mythological figures.

1790
The Rediscovery Of the Calendar Stone
After lying under Mexico city for decades, the calendar stone is discovered and mounted on the towers of the Catedral Metropolitana.

2012
Doomsday Forecasts
Some conspiracy theorists declare the stone anticipated the end of the world.

AZTEC NEW YEAR FAQS
How do they commemorate the Aztec New Year in Mexico?
Nahua communities in Mexico commemorate by lighting ocote (pitch-pine) candles, making offerings, and performing ritualistic songs and dances to the beat of drums. Fireworks are a recent modern-day addition to the celebrations.

When is the Aztec New Year?
According to the Aztec Calendar, March 12 marks the start of a new year.

What’s the distinction between Aztecs and Mayans?
The Aztecs lived in Central Mexico between the 14th to 16th centuries. They lived in northern Central America and southern Mexico as early as 2600 B.C.

HOW TO CELEBRATE AZTEC NEW YEAR
Learn more about the Aztec calendar
Today’s a great day to review understanding of various cultures. Search for books or online encyclopedias for insights into the origins of the Aztec calendar. We ensure it’s a remarkable read.

Attend celebrations
Absolutely nothing like the real deal. Get involved and attempt in New Year’s Eve celebrations on March 11 if you’re in Mexico. The fireworks, we’ve been told, are a reward to enjoy!

Check out a museum
When in Mexico City, visit the National Museum of Sociology. It is among Mexico’s most popular museums and the very best place to discover the extraordinary history of the Aztecs.

5 IMPORTANT TRUTHS ABOUT THE MAYA CIVILIZATION
The pioneers of chocolate making
The Maya were the very first to process cacao over 2,600 years ago successfully.

The lively ‘Maya blue’
The Maya used a lively blue on their monoliths and likewise painted human sacrifices blue.

They made accurate calculations
They were one of the very first to estimate that a year had 365 days correctly.

Maya pyramids are difficult to discover
Archaeologists are still uncovering gigantic Maya pyramids buried deep in Mexico’s jungles.

They composed books
The Maya wrote in a complex hieroglyphic script and used the inner bark of fig trees as paper.

WHY WE LOVE AZTEC NEW YEAR
It’s breathtaking
Aztec New Year honors a influential and once-powerful civilization. The modern-day world tends to believe it is the center of deep space. Today’s a fantastic day to flip the script and marvel at the world’s past.

Keeping customs alive
Celebrating Aztec New Year ensures the stories and traditions of the Aztecs live on. It means an ancient culture will constantly clearly stay in cumulative memories and histories.

Spring events
Aztec New Year takes place a few days prior to the Spring Equinox. Any celebration that celebrates spring is fantastic in our books.