Tours and Activities:

Patagonian New Year

New Year celebrations bring families together, sharing their beliefs and strengthening the community spirit, family bonds, and connections with other members of their region.

The Mapuche people are distinguished by their deep understanding of astronomical and agricultural cycles. Thanks to this knowledge, they developed a clear concept of the movements of the sun, the moon, and the stars, and their influence on the life of nature and human beings. They precisely understood the seasonal cycles that guided planting, harvesting, and community ceremonies.

In the Southern Hemisphere, people recognize June 21 as the shortest day of the year, accompanied by the longest night and the arrival of winter. The solstice marks the maximum tilt of the Earth´s axis relative to the Sun, a moment that signals a natural change of cycle.

For the Mapuches, this moment marks the end of the harvest season and the beginning of sowing, a constant cycle in which the sun guides life. They believe that the sun is born in winter, grows young in spring, matures in summer, and ages in autumn, coinciding with the falling of tree leaves and the change of animal fur.

“We Xipantu” in the Mapudungun language means "New Year", "emergence of the new sun". During the ceremony, also called Nguillatun, ancestral knowledge is honored, and prayers are offered for the protective and benevolent presence of the spirits.

The celebrations begin on the night of June 23; families gather around the fire, enjoy traditional dishes, and listen to the elders of the community. During the early hours of June 24, they step away from the fire to approach the cold waters of rivers, streams, and springs. Before sunrise, they purify their body and spirits and offer prayers for all.

At the end of the ceremony, they return home while playing ancestral instruments and singing traditional songs. In some communities, games, baptisms, and other inherited customs are also observed. These festivities strengthen both spiritual beliefs and family and community bonds.

Today, these celebrations can also include visitors, always respecting Mapuche protocols and worldview. The goal is to share their philosophy of life, reinforce community ties, and instill pride in their younger generations' pride in their cultural heritage.

See also: Hotels in Temuco and other accommodation venues