The Xiuhpohualli, the 365-day solar calendar, was the second of the two interlocking cycles that formed the Mexica calendar system. The Xiuhpohualli was composed of 18 months, called veintenas, of 20 days each, plus 5 extra days at the end of the year, called the nemontemi. The 18 months of the Xiuhpohualli were closely tied to the agricultural year, and each month had its own festival, with its own rituals, sacrifices, and foods.
The 18 Months
The 18 months of the Xiuhpohualli were the basic units of the solar calendar, and each month had its own name, its own festival, and its own association with the agricultural cycle. The 18 months were, in order: Atlcahualo, Tlacaxipehualiztli, Tozoztontli, Huei Tozoztli, Toxcatl, Etzalcualiztli, Tecuilhuitl, Tlaxochimaco, Xochilhuitl, Atemoztli, Tititl, Izcalli, Yancuicilhuitl, Miccailhuitontli, Huey Miccailhuitl, Ochpaniztli, Teotleco, and Tepeilhuitl.
Each month had its own festival, with its own rituals, sacrifices, and foods. The festivals were the principal public events of the year, and they were occasions for the entire community to participate in the religious life of the state. The most important festivals were those associated with the planting of maize, the growth of the maize, and the harvest of the maize.
The Five Nemontemi
The 5 extra days at the end of the year, the nemontemi, were considered to be unlucky, and the Mexica refrained from most activities during this period. The Mexica believed that the nemontemi were a dangerous time, and they performed a series of rituals to protect themselves from the evil influences that were believed to be active during this period. The nemontemi were also a time for the religious specialists to perform purification rituals and to prepare for the new year.
The Mexica believed that the nemontemi were outside the normal calendar, and they were not part of any of the 18 months. The nemontemi were a time of transition between the old year and the new year, and they were a time for the Mexica to reflect on the past and to prepare for the future.
The Use of the Xiuhpohualli
The Xiuhpohualli was used for the regulation of the agricultural year and for the timing of the great seasonal festivals. The Mexica believed that the gods required constant attention and propitiation, and the festivals were a way of ensuring that the gods would provide the rain, the sun, and the fertility that were necessary for the success of the harvest.
The Xiuhpohualli was also used for the regulation of the civil and religious life of the Mexica state. The Tlatoani and the high priests consulted the calendar to determine the timing of the major events, including the coronation of new rulers, the dedication of new temples, and the conduct of war. The Xiuhpohualli was an essential tool of the Mexica state, and it was used to coordinate the activities of the government and the people.
The Agricultural Cycle
The Xiuhpohualli was closely tied to the agricultural cycle, and the festivals of the months were synchronized with the agricultural activities. The first major festival, Atlcahualo, was in February and marked the beginning of the rainy season and the start of the planting of maize. The next festivals were Toxcatl, in May, and Etzalcualiztli, in June, which marked the beginning of the growing season.
The harvest festivals began in August, with Tlaxochimaco, and continued through the autumn, with Xochilhuitl and Atemoztli. The harvest festivals were the most important festivals of the year, and they involved the offering of the first fruits of the harvest and the celebration of the agricultural abundance.
The Survival of the Xiuhpohualli
Many elements of the Xiuhpohualli have survived in the modern Mexican culture, and the month names and the agricultural cycle are still widely used in many parts of Mexico. The modern Mexican calendar, while based on the European Gregorian calendar, retains many of the basic elements of the Xiuhpohualli, and the agricultural cycle is still a major feature of the Mexican rural life.
The festivals of the Xiuhpohualli have also survived in modified form in the Mexican religious calendar, and many of the Christian festivals have been synchronized with the traditional Mexica festivals. The Day of the Dead, the celebration of the Virgin of Guadalupe, and many other Mexican festivals have clear pre-conquest antecedents.
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