Tabular View of Festivals in a Hopi Year
The following ceremonies, celebrated annually at the East mesa of Tusayan, are mentioned with the months in which they occur, beginning with the New-fire or November festival.
November, Kelemüryawû (Novices' Moon)
| Wüwütcimti (New-fire ceremony). | |
| Naacnaiya (with initiation of novices). |
November is generally considered the opening month of the Hopi year, and on the character of the New-fire ceremony, whether elaborate (Naacnaiya) or abbreviated (Wüwütcimti), depends that of the following festivals, for if the former is celebrated the winter ceremonies which follow are always more complicated.
December, Kyamüryawû
| 1. | Soyaluña (All-assembly, Winter-solstice). |
Synchronous meeting of all clans in their respective kivas with alters and prayers to Muyiñwû, the germ god. An elaborate sun drama occurs in certain kivas during the festival.
| 2. | Momtcita (war dance of the Kalektaka or warrior priesthood of the Pakab clans). |
Stone images of the Hano warrior gods, corresponding to the Hopi Püükoñ hoya, Paluña hoya, and their grandmother Kokyan wüqti (Spider woman), are displayed at the winter solstice ceremony (called Tañtai by the Tewas). At Hano the rites of these gods are combined with those of the germ gods, but at Walpi they are distinct, following Soyaluña.
In this festival there is an alter and prayer-stick-making. The Hano warrior alters are erected in the same rooms and at the same time as those of the Winter-solstice ceremony.
January, Pamüryawû
| 1. | Pamürti. |
A dance is celebrated at Sichumovi by the Asa and Honani clans, dramatizing the return of the sun, followed by their clan-ancients or katcinas, called by Zuñi names.
| 2. | Leñya or Tcüa paholawû (Flute or snake prayer-stick-making). |
Winter or lesser Flute or Snake prayer-stick-making. The Flute or Snake fraternity of the under world is supposed to meet at this time, and there is a sympathetic gathering of Flute priests in even years and Snake priests in odd years. In the odd years certain rites occur in the kivas during the Soyaluña ceremony to harmonize with the preeminence of the Snake chief in those years.
| 3. | Mucaiasti (Buffalo dance). |
| 4. | Tawa paholawû (Sun prayer-stick-making). |
Winter or lesser assemblage of the Sun priests.
