The parade began from Uh May. The priest chanted in a sing-song, almost indecipherable Maya that seemed to lack all the glottal stops that make it famous. He jangled a bell as he walked.

I clutched a small bowl of soup in my hands, trying not to let it slop over the edges as I marched through the grass. Despite my best efforts, by the time I presented my offering at the church across the highway, the soup had dribbled down my fingers to stain my shirt sleeve.

It’s not the first time I’ve participated in a Maya religious ceremony thanks to Na’atik, and if I can keep coming back, it won’t be my last.

It may sound like I’m getting spoiled by studying at Na’atik. But what’s really happening is, I’m starting to get acculturated thanks to my studies at Na’atik. 

Na’atik

 is Maya for understanding, and every time I see another one of these ceremonies, I find myself moving from a place of wonder to a place of understanding for the people of Quintana Roo who hold their families and ancestral beliefs so close.

That said, when I kneeled on the hard concrete church floor and watched the three priests light the candles, their backs to us, faces toward the cross, I knew I was witnessing something special, something that precious few folks from outside the traditionalist Maya community will ever get to see in person.

The Maya religion, a mystical mixture of pre-Hispanic beliefs and

Catholicism, feels at once glorious and relaxed. Even as community members gave up expensive foodstuffs and tortillas they’d spent all day making as sacrifices, even as the pain in my knees and the flashing Christmas lights and chanting pushed me near to a trance-like state, the children laughing and playing outside and the sound of the trucks on the highway kept the real world close.

This was my third time at Na’atik, my second time in the small town of Uh May on the outskirts of Felipe Carrillo Puerto, but my first time being able to listen to Maya speakers and pick up, if not their exact words, the sentiments of their conversation. But it won’t be my last time. As I’m writing this, I’m already home, already in a bed, not a hammock, and I’m already planning how I can get back to my friends at Na’atik.

Zach is one of our most dedicated Maya students and he has been steadily improving his skills in the language over the past few years. We love having him visit and hope next year he can bring his wife and new baby!

If you would like to read more about Mexican culture, history, cuisine and language, check out our blog page for our latest monthly articles. You can also sign up to our newsletter to receive these straight to your inbox along with the latest news about our non-profit school for local and Indigenous students in Felipe Carrillo Puerto. 

The best way to experience the Mexican lifestyle is in person, with a Na’atik Immersion experience. Not only do you live with a local Mexican-Maya family, sharing home-cooked meals and free time, but also receive expert instruction in your chosen language at our school. Best of all, every immersion experience helps fund our subsidized and free local education program, helping local students to access opportunities and make their own futures.