A ritual passed down for generations in Mexico called the Ritual Ceremony of the Voladores where humans are suspended upside down from a tree 1,000 feet in the air, is as embraced today as it was 2,500 years ago. Los Angeles Times foreign correspondent Leila Miller joined host Lisa McRee on “LA Times Today” to share about the Mexican ritual.

Miller explained that the Ritual Ceremony of the Voladores is an indigenous ceremony with dancing, swinging, and music. 

“It’s about three minutes. While they’re flying, they sometimes have their arms out in the air. Oftentimes, they say that they’re trying to personify eagles. They often wear feathers on top of their heads,” Miller said. “It is an indigenous ritual. And then when the Spanish came, it became a practice to honor Catholic saints. So it’s practiced to honor Catholic saints during certain, important dates, but it’s also done in parks. It’s also sometimes done so that tourists can see it and maybe lend some support.” 

Often, children perform as voladores in the dangerous ceremony.  

“They know that if a rope breaks, if they fall, it could mean death or a very serious injury,” said Miller. “I spent some time following a family of daughters in Cuetzalan, which is a small town in Puebla, and the mom of three voladores told me that she’s very proud of what her sons do and what her husband does. Ultimately she knows they’re very experienced, but that it’s in the hands of God.”

Miller spoke about the future of the Ritual Ceremony of the Voladores.

“Artists across the country are working to have the government recognize how state governments recognize that this tradition is part of their cultural heritage, like the voladores from Puebla,” Miller said. “One volador told me is that there’s no shortage of people wanting to become voladores, of indigenous kids being interested in flying, but what they hope is that the tradition is and the meaning behind the ritual is preserved.”

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