Navajo Celebrations

There are 5 major celebrations or ceremonies made up of the Navajo. The 2 of them that are most used are the Blessingway celebration that is made to awaken the natural order of living the loving way. The way of life is making the right decisions which are constructive and true to life.

Protectionway

Protectionway rises up the divine masculine to grant him as a protector and provider in the Navajo. This ceremony is put in place to develop the emotions to protect one’s self with peacemaking techniques to be at peace with the creator and creation.

Purification

Purrification and the cleansing are specific to names and purposes.

The ceremonies of the Navajo consisted of restoring harmony with the different levels of supernatural. Many of these ceremonies combine prayer with song, magic rituals and the making of the prayer sticks as well as some other different paraphernalia. The various dry colored sands are used in some ceremonies for healing as well as masked dancers.

For those who participate in the ceremonies to cure or heal an individual, the medicine of the healer is used to remove the transgressions brought forth from the supernaturals or witchcraft used to harm an individual. There are specific ceremonies used to combat these forces and a combination of herbs, potions and ointments will be used to heal the individual. There are specific individuals who are used to collect and apply these medicines.

Spiritual Renewal

The spiritual renewal is the nine day ceremony where the spirit is renewed.

The art of the Navajo comes to light with a variety of media which includes poetry and songs and dance. The costume plays an important role in the system of celebrations of the Navajo. The women who participate in the rug making will make brightly colored rugs and the dry sand paintings that are created are destroyed at the end of a healing session however there are duplications of the images available that are made to be placed on boards that are sold to individuals around the world wanting to know more about the Navajo.

The Spirit World

The journey to the world of spirit is the ceremony used to lift a person’s spirit to the spirit world.

The way of the Navajo was to be afraid of death and those who were dead. They were taught to speak of them as little as they could and to bury them as fast as they could without ceremony. The taboos that were observed by individuals were not rewarded or punished on this earth but rather in the afterworld.