The celebration of the Purépecha New Year, inveterate ritual that resists disappearing

Morelia, Mich., The New Year Purépecha began the last minutes of yesterday, just when the zenith of the constellation of Orion was in the highest part, communal authorities of 43 native peoples said after the arrival of the fire grandfather – Tata Ch ‘Upiri−, which left his last breath in Santa Clara del Cobre, where the new fire or Ch’piri Jimbanhi was lit.

After walking more than 100 kilometers from the community of Ocumicho, municipality of Charapan, yesterday morning the Fire walk He arrived at the town of Santa Clara del Cobre, municipality of Salvador Escalante. More than 500 participants carried the last flames of the year grandfather, near midnight yesterday, and after a pagan ceremony “he took the Tata Ch’upiri to rest and the new fire lit, which marked the conclusion of 20 MONTHS OF THE PURÉPECHA YEAR.

Pavel Guzmán, participant of the walk and member of the Organizing Committee, commented that it is the most important ceremony of the Plateau regions, Ribera de los Lagos de Pátzcuaro and Zirahuén, Cañada de los Eleven villages, Sierra and Ciénega de Zacapu. He is out of political parties and governments; represents the conservation of our culture and customs in times of globalization and loss of values.

It is an ancestral ceremony, which was resumed in 1983 in order to strengthen the unity of this ethnic group of the state of Michoacán. On this occasion they attended the host community of Santa Clara plus 20 thousand inhabitants of the indigenous regions of the entity.

The first time this ceremony was held was in Tzintzuntzan; Since then it has been carried out annually, becoming an important element of strengthening and cohesion of the Purépecha people.

Blessing and purification

The walk departed from Ocumicho on January 29 with hundreds of people, known as chargers, who carried anafre on the grandfather; They passed through the plateau area and communities such as Quinceo, Arantepakua, Comachuén, San Juan Tumbio and Zirahuén.

It is a cycle that is repeated every year in a new community; On February 1, 2024 he arrived in the main square of Ocumicho in the morning, after a long walk, the same as this time in Santa Clara. The grandfather’s fire was received with Pyecuas, Sones, Abajeños and Copal, and was guarded by the Cargueros.

The communal authorities say that the passage of the Tata Ch’upiri is a blessing for the communities and roads that they travel, since with the smoke and the flames they purify the place. With the sound of the snails it is notified of their arrival every time it reaches a town.

Shortly before midnight on February 1, the freighters began the preparations to light the Ch’piri Jimbanhi; Then, with the sound of the snails the ceremony begins; Everyone is silent and wait for the wood placed in the stone to start burn; Thus, the flames go up and with it the Purépecha New Year.

From 9 o’clock today, in the public square of Santa Clara, bands of music and dancers of the different Purépecha regions are presented; In addition, there is a ball game and parades of the participating communities. At night the communal council elected the people to host the new Purépecha year in 2026, and took to sleep on the fire.