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I am Luis Perez Salazar.
We are having for the first time in the village of Kikil,
this Mayan ceremony called “Ch’a Chaak”.
It’s a rain ritual and it is performed mainly in the months June or July.
When the rainy season has begun and there is no rainfall,
the ritual request is made asking for rain because it is the basis
for the cornfields and our sacred grain, our sacred seed,
which is the corn (maize).
It is intimately linked to the feeding of the Mayan people.
It’s a tradition that dates from before the Pre-Hispanic era,
through the colonization period to the present time.
It is performed in ranches, and in the communities.
There are different kinds of ceremonies but this one is exclusively to ask for rain.
The reason it is being done today is not only to ask for rain here in our region
but most importantly for the northern states of the country
that are going through a tremendous drought and they need it.
Our needs are also connected to theirs as those are the lands rich in agriculture,
cattle ranching and we, in the village of Kikil,
came to this agreement to ask for ourselves and for them as well.
It is one of the longest Mayan rituals.
It lasts approximately eight hours.
From the time we start at about 7 or 8am until 3 or 4 pm.
The villagers are very excited and they have a lot of faith in this ceremony.
Naturally, this ceremony is not 100% Mayan;
it does have Pre-Hispanic origins but there is also a mixture of Paganism,
Pre-Hispanic and Christian roots.
There will be prayers and breads for the ritual table.
We will have helpers who will collaborate in the killing of the chickens to be cooked.
We need thirteen people to hold thirteen chickens.
Each person holds one and once they are deceased they will take them to the lady.
The dough is for making the bread to present at the table.
We have “pepita” (a pumpkin based ingredient),
recado (annatto seed)
and meat to make the Mole.
This will be the offering to the god, Chaak; the god of rain.
We are here doing all this to preserve or perhaps rescue
and promote in this area, these aspects of our culture.
Our traditions and customs are very important to our people.
It’s the faith our people have and it’s based in the unity of the village itself,
which is why you see the men and women here
waiting to do their part in this ceremony.