Xilonen (she-lon-en)
"Fiesta del Maiz"
A commitment to our children and our future.
The ceremony of Xilonen or Chicomecoatl has its roots in the traditional "calender" or Tonalpualli. It is typically celebrated in the 8th month, Uey Tecuilhuitl or Great Feast of the Lords. This vientena or 20-day cycle occurs between July 3rd and July 22 on the traditional calendar, though within Danza Cuauhtemoc our tradition is to celebrate it on the last Saturday in July.
The purpose of this ceremony was to assure a return of the waters and good corn harvest in the coming months. Those more fortunate had the duty to share what they had with the less fortunate even as food stores ran low. These ceremonies were characterized by the sharing of food and the giving of gifts for 8 days.
In our modern practice, the focus has been the continuance of our traditions and teachings with the children of our community. We hope to "plant" the seeds of understanding about our indigenous heritage with the hope that they will "grow" in this knowledge in the future. The corn is ,of course, the most important plant of the Americas so it is the focus of our ceremony. It is symbolic of our relationship to this land and is a symbol of our people. NOSOTROS SOMOS MAIZ.
Each year, our group names a new Xilonen, that is, a young lady between the age of 13 and 21 who is charged with working throughout the year with all matters relating to children. She has the power to command 4 Palabras. This means that 4 times during her 1 -year reign she can demand the presence of all our danzantes to work on issues related to children. She is picked from the community and is typically new to Danza.
This year the ceremony will occur on
July 26, 2008
