Maya Traditions: Hetzmek

One of the ancestral Maya traditions which has endured until today is the “Hetzmek” ceremony, or Maya baptism, which takes its name from the way the child (under 6 months of age) is held on the left hip of the godfather or godmother. The ceremony is common throughout the Yucatán peninsula, and is ideally held during the full moon.

Both the godparent and the child are given some egg, pumpkin seed paste, boiled chaya leaves, and corn with honey, symbolizing intelligence, reasoning, sensitivity, and sweetness. At the end, the candle is blown out and the godparent returns the child to the parents, and a special festivity takes place for all the attendees, usually close family members.

The Hetzmek ceremony represents the cycle of life and rebirth that will provide the child with physical and intellectual abilities for the rest of their life; to be a “good man or woman, with a function” that integrates them with their community: a Maya tradition with great value and symbolism.