La Rama

On every December and ranging from 10 to 12 days, the children in Yucatan goes out and sing on the surrounding houses. This is for the people to give them some money so the children could make their christmas party with pinata, candies and gifts. Until now, this tradition still can be seen in the city. This group of children, motivated with the christmas spirit, go and sing La Rama. They usually use a branch of huano, lemmon or a palm, joining an image of the Virgin of Guadalupe or another religious figure adorned with baloons, flowers or some shiny garments and they should take candles and a little can for the money given to them.

La Rama

"Me paro en la puerta y me quito el sombrero
porque en esta casa vive un caballero.
Vive un caballero, vive un general
si nos da permiso para comenzar.
Naranjas y limas, limas y limones,
aqui esta la virgen de todas las flores.
En un jacalito de cal y de arena
nació Jesucristo para noche buena.
A la media noche un gallo cantó
y en su canto dijo: Ya Cristo Nació.
Zacatito verde lleno de rocio,
el que no se tape se muere de frio.
Senora Santana, porqué llora el niño?
Por una manzana que se le ha perdido.
No llore por una, yo le dare dos,
una para el niño y otra para Dios."

Then it follows a custom verse and depending if the people give money to the children, they will say a final verse.

If money is given:
"Ya se va la rama muy agradecida
porque en esta casa fue bien recibida."

If no money is given:

"Ya se va la rama muy desconsolada
porque en esta casa no le dieron nada"

At last, they will sing:
"Que pasen buena noche, asi lo deseamos.
Que pasen buena noche, nosotros nos vamos"

Offering for the first Crop (Jo'olche')

When the corn is ready for the harvest, the owner offers some to God and to the other owners of the milpa. The best corn of the crop is given to God thanking Him for the good harvest. The milpa´s owner puts on an altar the corn in form of pibinal ("pib"-cooked corn)and atole. After the essence of the food is retrieved by God, it's given to the assistants of the ceremony.

Meal of the well (Wajilch'e'en)

This ceremony is made every time the owner think is needed. It's believed that if not done, some misfortunes will occur, like animals or even people falling inside the wells. If done, the well will provide clean and clear water to the workers and the population around.

Meal of the dead (Hanal Pixan)

(Directly from the Mayan dialect: Hanal:meal, Pixan:dead or spirit)The same day the day of the dead is celebrated, the Hanal Pixan takes place. This is a prehispanic cult. When the Franciscan order came to Yucatan, they tried to take it out. But it was so important that it was merely adapted to be a religious ceremony.
People in Yucatan used to bury their dead relatives on the same house they lived in order to keep them close and give them an offering during this ceremony.
The mayan gives them the things they liked when they were alive, as for fruit and other meals. One of the most important meals are the "Pibil-uanes" or "mucbipollos", a meal consisting of chicken-baked tamal style wrapped with banana tree leaves. They offer "atole" seved in a "jicara" so the dead will come down and meal with us as their relatives pray for the soul. Once the prayers are done, the people assisting the ceremony will feast on the food. On November 1st, the children are celebrated. The rest of the souls are reminded the next day.
A mayan tradition that you still can see the altars in the small populations and in some houses in Merida. On the Main Square, they make an altar exhibitoin and contest, according to the mayan tradition.

The "Pib" is an oven prepared underground with charcoal or "cal".		A typical Hanal Pixan altar

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