Culture
Previous Image Next Image

Mayan Culture in Daily Life

By Marcia Morgado

Arriving in the Riviera Maya while a welcoming Caribbean breeze washes over you makes you feel like you’ve entered an area blessed by the gods. And maybe it was.

This is where groundbreaking discoveries in math were made long before the days of Newton. This is where master architects created beautifully symmetrical, equidistant structures that have literally stood the test of time. This is where the stars played a role in daily life long before the time of Galileo or Copernicus. Beyond science, this is where rich traditions in music, cuisine, art and spirituality were nurtured. And believe it or not, the impact of this broad heritage can hit you with just a stroll along Playa del Carmen’s Fifth Avenue or in Akumal.

In fact, it seems like echoes of Mayan culture are found in every corner of the region, starting with the majestic yaxchés (silk cotton trees) that were sacred to the Mayans and key to their beliefs. Then there’s the reading of the cardinal points, which are ruled by the god Chaac, protector of agriculture. The east is called Chaac Xib Chaac (red); the west is Ek Xib Chaac (black); north is Sac Xib Chaac (white); and south is called Kan Xib Chaac (yellow), with the yaxché tree in the center.

You also sense the Mayan pulse in the way that artisans craft their works, whether they’re creating ceremonial masks, wood sculptures or woven baskets. Speaking of weaving, legend has it that the goddess Ixchel brought this craft to the Mayans, along with looms and the symbols to decorate their works: snakes, flowers, frogs or diamonds, each of which has a mystic meaning. Ixchel, who is the goddess of the moon, the waters, medicine and midwifery, seems to still command respect here: she even has a temple on Isla Mujeres (Isle of Women), located off the coast of Cancún.


It’s not surprising that the Mayans were once known as the “corn men,” as this staple is cooked in a myriad of ways in tons of dishes. It’s roasted (plib), boiled (chaakbil na), toasted (póokbil nal) or ground (waaj) into tortillas. Corn also is a key ingredient of tamales, pozole (a type of stew) and atole (a hot drink that can be either salty or sweet). Special occasions call for relleno negro, a black paste made with chili peppers and local spices that’s combined with pork or turkey.

Music played an important role in the Mayan universe: it was part of ceremonial rites and evident in murals, stories and codices. The Mayans mostly used wind instruments like flutes and seashells that sounded like trumpets or whistles, as well as some percussion. This included the tunkul, a drum originally made out of a tortoise shell and deer antlers.

In terms of visual arts, Mayan religious images—usually depicting dances, drumming, armed attacks, capture, decapitation and sacrificial offerings in murals in Tulum and Santa Rita—use a combination of styles. They blend typical Mayan features with iconographic elements borrowed from the Mixteca-Puebla people that suggests the cultural interchange that was part of the “International” Post-Classical period of the Mayan civilization.

Beyond the Mayan achievements in math, architecture and handicrafts, among the other attractive aspects of the Riviera Maya are its hospitality and serenity. The latter is especially driven home by the soothing sound of the waves on the beach. Curiously, it seems like the gentle swaying of the waves is reflected in the graceful movements of Yucatan women in brightly colored huipil dresses that seem to sparkle under the bright sun, a perfect complement to their vivid smiles.

Read about Riviera Maya's archaeological sites.