There is a very definite calendar arrangement of these ceremonials, some
variation in the different villages, but no deviation in the order and
essential details of the main dances.

In December comes the Soyaluna, or winter solstice ceremony, to turn the
sun back from his path of departure and insure his return with length of
days to the Indian country. Good-will tokens are exchanged, not unlike
our idea of Christmas cards, at the end of the ceremony; they are
prayer tokens which are planted with prayers for health and prosperity.
The kiva rituals are rich in symbolism and last eight days, if young men
are to be initiated, otherwise four. The public dance at the end is a
masked pageant.

In January comes the Buffalo Dance, with masks representing buffalo,
deer, mountain sheep, and the other big game animals. Its chief
characters are the Hunter and the Buffalo Mother, or Mother of all big
game. A prayer for plentiful big game is the idea of this dance.

In February the Powamu, "bean sprouting," ceremony occurs, with very
elaborate ritual signifying consecration of fields for planting. Various
masks and symbolic costumes are used, and the children's initiation is
accompanied with a ceremonial "flogging"--really a switching by
kachinas. Dr. Dorsey considers this the most colorful of all Hopi
ceremonies and says that nowhere else on earth can one see in nine days
such a wealth of religious drama, such a pantheon of the gods
represented by masked and costumed actors, such elaborate altars and
beautiful sand mosaics, nor songs and myths sung and recited of such
obvious archaic character, containing many old words and phrases whose
meaning is no longer known even to the Hopi themselves.