November 30: “The grand farewell of the holy souls”One U Janalo’ob Pixan (Day of the Dead) tradition that some Maya families in Quintana Roo continue to practice is ‘the grand farewell of the holy souls.’ After visiting their loved ones in November, the souls are ready to return to the afterlife, and a grand farewell marks their departure on the last night of the month.Called xteep in Maya, or translated into bastimentos in Spanish, this third and final ceremony is about offering provisions (bastimentos) to the souls as they return to the afterlife. For this final farewell, Maya families prepare offerings of cooked chicken or, sometimes pork, for the souls to carry with them in embroidered sheaths (cloth holders used to keep tortillas or bread). Xteep concludes the three U Janalo’ob Pixan ceremonies —  the welcoming of the souls on October 31, the Octavario, which takes place eight days later, and the final farewell. The three traditions represent the three phases of existence: birth, life, and death.Maestro Aniceto Velazquez Chí said: “The three phases are very important. The Maya believe that death complements life, and without death, the cycle is not complete  — we are born, we grow up, and we finally die.“Generally, one fears death, but the grandparents say it should not be feared because the souls come to visit us, to bless us, and live with us for a while.” The ceremonies have been passed through the generations, although many people no longer practice the Octavio or the xteep. However, for Maestro Aniceto Velazquez and his family, the three U Janalo’ob Pixan ceremonies are important customs that they will continue to practice and teach to the younger generations. 

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