Mexico — Guided by their ancestral lunar calendar members of Mexico's Purepecha Indigenous group celebrated their own New Year's Eve — a little differently than the West's traditional New Year who live in the western state of Michoacán preserve the pre-Hispanic belief in the "New Fire" ceremony a version of which was also practiced by their ancient rivals to the east Because the Purepechas' lunar calendar of 18 months leaves an orphan day that belongs to no month that day — which this year fell on Thursday — is viewed as a time for both mourning and renewal That is when a symbolic fire is extinguished no fire was allowed on that day and meals were eaten cold although the prevalence of gas and electric burners has made that obsolete a new fire is lit and not allowed to go out until the new year That ancient ceremony was carried on this week by Antonio Tinoco who served as the guardian of last year's New Fire Tinoco tended the symbolic flame in Erongarícuaro a village on the shore of Pátzcuaro Lake "It is both sad and happy at the same time," Tinoco said of Thursday's ceremony in which his old flame was celebrated and then extinguished; a new one was lit in its ashes and will be handed on to a new guardian in another town and putting it out signified the end of this cycle and today a new cycle begins," Tinoco said Each year the guardianship of the fire is passed to a different town so Tinoco physically carried a portion of last year's fire in a small brazier during a three-day walk over mountain trails to the town of Ocumicho Yesterday I felt like it was burning my shirt so I said to myself 'it seems like it's hungry,' so I fed it and it calmed down." Ocumicho is where the New Fire ceremony is being held this year a new guardian will be selected to tend it and pass it on Friday the old fire was celebrated and then extinguished The women of Ocumicho ascended a small pyramid made of adobe bricks and poured copal incense on the old fire That spot is where the new fire was finally lit again around midnight The ceremony is part of an effort to preserve ancestral customs among the Purépecha many of whom have to migrate to the United States to earn a living Many of them have also spent years fighting against mining and illegal logging that target the pine and fir forests of the mountainous region where they live Loggers often clear cut trees to plant avocados a highly lucrative export crop in Michoacán Though he acknowledges that Michoacán has its problems Tinoco says he feels good about carrying on the tradition I feel satisfied with everything that we have achieved," he said Will you support our work?All of our content is free And we have hired more Native journalists in the past year than any news organization ─ and with your help we will continue to grow and create career paths for our people Support Indian Country Today for as little as $10 the Purépecha (the Spanish word for p’urhépecha) a group of Indigenous people who live mostly in the northwestern region of the Mexican state of Michoacán celebrate their new year to thank Mother Earth for her care and kindness throughout the year The celebration includes a ritual called the fire walk the Purépecha leaders recall their history and offer a message based on their ancestors’ thoughts to give way to the “new time.” the fire walk starts in a different community and rotates among twelve Purépecha villages to strengthen their friendship the ceremony will be held in the town of Erongarícuaro the participants and Purépecha leaders ask Kurhiahueri (the main god of the pre-Hispanic Purépecha people who represented the Sun) for abundance in harvests as well as divine permission to use fire to cook the food that the earth will provide them Although the new fire ceremony has cultural significance and is an essential part of the traditions of Michoacán the ritual was prohibited after conquistador Nuño de Guzmán killed the last Purépecha ruler Tangaxoan II Today this festivity is seen to symbolize the unity and strengthening of the contemporary Purépecha people With reports from El Sol de Morelia ADVERTISE WITH MND COMMUNITY GUIDELINES Subscription FAQ's Privacy Policy Mexico News Daily - Property of Tavana LLC