SHOTLIST:

- SANTA ANA, EL SALVADOR (SEPTEMBER 21, 2025) (ANADOLU - ACCESS ALL)

1. INDIGENOUS PEOPLE GATHERING AT TAZUMAL ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE

2. PARTICIPANTS LAUNCHING OFFERINGS ONTO FIRE ALTAR

3. RITUALS OF MAYAN CEREMONY

4. SOUNDBITE (Spanısh) MAYAN PRIEST SOT FERNANDO PALOMO SAYING:

"On this occasion, we're working on the autumn equinox. We've come here to release everything we've recharged during the last solstice. Now we've come to the autumn equinox and we're going to focus on the winter solstice. We've passed the spring equinox. When the year is born, flowers and everything come out, so at this time of year, it's the autumn equinox. We saw that during the spring solstice the days were long; here, the day is a little shorter, and the nights will be a little longer too. So, the rainy season is also when we come to release our strength and renew our strength for the new cycle that's coming for all our paths, endeavors, work, family, commitments to open, health, abundance, and prosperity. So, we come to offer offerings to the grandparents, to the deities, we summon fire to regain our strength." SANTA ANA, EL SALVADOR - SEPTEMBER 21: Indigenous people gathered at the Tazumal archaeological site in Chalchuapa, western El Salvador, on Sunday, September 21, to celebrate the autumn equinox with a traditional Mayan ceremony.

Participants launched offerings onto a fire altar as part of the ritual, which symbolizes renewal and the transition into a new seasonal cycle.

The autumn equinox, one of only two times in the year when day and night are of equal length worldwide, also marks the official end of summer in the Northern Hemisphere.

For the Mayan community, the event carries spiritual significance tied to nature, fertility, and balance.

Mayan priest Sot Fernando Palomo explained that the ceremony is a way to release energy accumulated since the last solstice and prepare for the coming season.

“We've come here to release everything we've recharged during the last solstice. Now we've come to the autumn equinox and we're going to focus on the winter solstice,” Palomo said.

He added that the ritual also honors ancestors and deities while seeking health, abundance, and prosperity for the community.

The Tazumal ruins, located in the municipality of Chalchuapa in Santa Ana Department, are among El Salvador’s most important archaeological sites and continue to serve as a spiritual gathering place for indigenous traditions.