Community seeks to bring in New Year with peace and unity

The community of San Jose gathered to celebrate Aztec Mexica New Year on March 14 and 15 at Emma Prusch Park on Story and King roads. The Bay area has a strong base of Mexica Aztec communities with over 20 different Aztec dance families called Calpullies that stress the importance of sharing and teaching their culture. “When we know our roots and where we come from we become strong,” Lizbeth Xochipapalo Amador said, “and know where we are going.” Along with emphasizing the value of knowing the one’s own culture, Amador said they gathered to promote peace between all people no matter their beliefs or background. Amador said, “We all come from the same Mother Earth and live under the same sun.” The community of San Jose came out to the festival to bring in the new year called Yei Acatl, or Three Reid. Yei Acatl is the year of strength, rectitude, flexibility and wisdom. The new year comes later than that in the American culture because of the different calendar systems. The Mexica Aztec year is based on the Aztec calendar and is governed by a 20-day cycle. This erases the need for a leap year every four years as the Gregorian calendar does.