THE 5 CUSTOMS AND TRADITIONS OF THE MOST IMPORTANT YAQUIS - CULTURE VOCABULARY - 2025

The customs and traditions of the Yaquis are the product of a mixture of cultural elements typical of the Aztecs and Mayans with some elements of the culture that Europe introduced after its establishment in the American continent.

The Yaqui ritual cycle follows the Catholic liturgical calendar, but separating two periods: a sacrificial one that coincides with Lent, and another related to agricultural rituals and the changes of seasons.

Traditional Mexican festivities, such as the Day of the Dead and Holy Week, are observed and commemorated, but at the same time the Yaquis maintain their most indigenous traditions, such as the dance of the pascola and the dance of the deer.

The 5 main traditions of the Yaquis

1- The dance of the pascola

It is an indigenous dance that is done accompanied by the music of the harp and the violin. Three shirtless men dance by rattling the dry caterpillar shells that they carry on the lower part of their legs.

Eventually percussive drums are integrated into the music.

2- The deer dance

In a similar way to that of the pascola, the accompanying music is also based on the harp and violin, but on this occasion the dance represents the ritual of the hunt.

In this dance the movements of the deer are imitated; some dancers even choose to sport a stuffed deer head tied over their heads.

3- The Pharisees

During Holy Week the death of Jesus is commemorated and the Yaquis make a sacrifice during Lent.

They travel throughout the region wearing a mask of goatskin and wood with Spanish features, covered by cloaks and blankets. The intention is to receive a miracle or favor from the divine.

On their legs they carry the dried cocoons that they also use in typical dances; they call these ténabaris.

In this tradition they use their clothing to collect money to organize the parties. The most remarkable thing is that they do not remove their masks in front of the public and do not speak to each other, but communicate by signs.

3- The feast of San Juan Bautista

The celebrations begin a couple of days before the day of the patron Saint John the Baptist. In these, a group called Los Azul concentrates to apologize, carrying lighted candles.

The blue ones wait for the red ones to appear, the second group, who are made to beg. Together and in formation they enter the church while the "maistro" guides the rezanderos to begin the praises of the day of San Juan.

After several prayers, the typical dances begin accompanied by the sound of a rattle.

4- The dance of pajkolas

In the Yaqui dialect, pajkola means "the one who is always at the festivals is dancing" and refers to the dancers at festivals, the family tradition of the dance and the will of the participants.

The pajkolas dance is performed hand in hand with the deer dance. Normally it precedes it, but this one goes with a music based on a drum and with the melody of a native Yaqui flute.

It is a dance that requires good physical condition because it can last all night; consequently, it is common for dancers to take turns.

Along with the dancers there is also a narrator who tells anecdotes of the race and includes elements of nature that are personified during the dance, such as the coyote or the hummingbird.

References

1. Berber, Laureano Calvo. (1958) Notions of the history of Sonora. Mexico City: Libreria de Manuel Porrua, S A.
2. Wikipedia - Yaqui en.wikipedia.org
3. SIC México - Indigenous Peoples, from Sonora sic.cultura.gob.mx
4. History of the Yaquis Sonora obson.wordpress.com
5. Tecnológico de Monterrey - The feast of San Juan Bautista mty.itesm.mx
6. The Yaqui culture - danzap.blogspot.com