Page:Here and there in Yucatan - miscellanies (IA herethereinyucat00lepl 0).djvu/109

 those who were taking part in the ceremony received a small quantity of incense from the priest, who was careful not to spill the least portion of it; they threw it into the brazier little by little, watching it until every particle was burned; the old women meanwhile going through a weird dance to the beating of the sacred tunkul (drum) and the music of other instruments, such as the sistrum, used in religious ceremonies in many countries.

The priests earnestly besought that the blessing of Ku (Divine Essence) might rest upon the people during the year. They then felt at liberty to enjoy the good things that had been brought for them, so a banquet ensued, conducted with the strictest etiquette and good manners; while the people all over the land made merry as they pleased till the sun sank in the west and New-Year's Day was at an end.