Flying Men

Let me explain:

This is an ancient Aztec tradition. It involves five very holy and pious men, who are not allowed to drink, smoke, take any drugs, or have sex. One man sits atop the pole playing instruments, and the other four tie a rope around just their waste, and hang upside down from the pole. The top of the pole where the music-playing man sits, spins around, causing the hanging men to fly around it. As the top of the pole spins around, the rope slowly unwinds itself, lowering the men slowly towards the ground as the fly around the pole upside down. Once at the bottom, the men simply right themselves and put their feet on the ground.

Their costumes are amazingly intricate and colorful, and I believe the whole ceremony is in worship of the sun god. In ancient times, it was not a pole, but a special tree chosen by the entire community, and then stripped down to be used by the flying men.

I got to see this ceremony performed twice in my stay in Mexico. This one was in the Chapultepec Park in Mexico City, and I saw it again near some small pyramids we visited while in Vera Cruz. It's quite something!