By Pablo Etchevers
BOTH IN CHILE AND IN ARGENTINA, THE NATIVE PEOPLES WELCOME AND CELEBRATE THE NEW YEAR ON JUNE 24. THE SUN IS THE GREAT PROTAGONIST.
Astrology and astronomy were very important disciplines the Mapuche people, as well as all the native peoples of the continent, used as a means of developing and fostering knowledge. They managed to interpret the movements of the sun, the rest of the stars and the planets through analysis and studies. They also understood the changes produced on nature and even people as a result of those movements.
Thus, they were able to accurately define the start and the ending of the New Year. Nature and the Earth have a logic based on evolution and its understanding leads to the determination of the start and the closing of each stage.
The most important celebration for the native peoples in the Southern hemisphere is the “We Xipantu” or “Nquillatún”, a Mapuche expression which stands for “New Year” or “sunrise of the new sun”. It occurs simultaneously with the Inty Raimy (of the Inca tradition), which claims that the sun is the source of wisdom and renovation. During the ceremony, prayers are said and thanks are given to this element essential to life.
In our hemisphere, the coming of winter takes place on June 21 and it coincides with the winter solstice. This is the point in the calendar when the Earth tilts at its greatest distance away from the sun. This is the shortest day in the year and the longest night. For the Mapuches, this natural phenomenon sets the ending of the harvest period and the beginning of a new sowing season.
This nation has a cyclical conception of time: the sun is born with the coming of winter, it becomes a youth and then turns into an adult in the spring, it grows old during our summer and it starts to die in the fall. This is a process of change and evolution shared with nature in general.
The ceremony begins on the night of June 23, when all the families gather around a big bonfire and listen to the eldest members of the group. They taste typical dishes specially prepared for the event.
At the break of dawn on June 24, everybody (children, youths and elders alike) get to the closest river, stream or spring creek and have a bath in a purification rite. They do this in order to cleanse their body and soul before welcoming the new sun and, therefore, the New Year.
After the bath, a series of individual and group prayers follow as the formal beginning of the celebration. As the families return to their homes, they play typical instruments and dance to their music to celebrate the New Year.
Countless activities take place every year on June 24, depending on the community. These may include: religious ceremonies, popular games and baptisms. Girls over six years old have their ears pierced as a way of setting the end of their childhood.
In short, this is a date loaded with emotion and joy. Each practice is aimed at strengthening the spirit of brotherhood within the community. In the last few years, these popular celebrations have been open for foreign tourists, both Chilean and Argentinian in general.
Source: InterPatagonia.com