ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Aztec New Year

Okay kiddo, so the Aztecs were a group of people who lived a long, long time ago in what is now Mexico. They had their own way of keeping track of time, kind of like how we have a calendar today.

The Aztec New Year was a big celebration that happened at the end of every year, just like how we have New Year's Eve parties. But instead of counting down to midnight, the Aztecs counted down to a special day called the "Binding of the Years".

Now, this day was really important because it was believed that it was on this day that the gods got together and decided what was going to happen in the upcoming year. So, everyone would get together and perform special ceremonies and rituals to make sure the gods would be happy with their future plans.

During the celebration, people would give offerings to different gods, dance, sing, and even have big feasts with lots of food. The Aztecs also had a tradition where they would tie birds to a pole and then climb up to try and catch them as they flew away. It might sound a little strange to us, but it was all part of the fun of the celebration.

So, in short, the Aztec New Year was a special day where people got together to celebrate the end of one year and the beginning of another. They wanted to make sure the gods were happy with their future plans, so they did lots of different rituals and ceremonies to show their respect. And of course, they had lots of fun, including catching birds!