The other side of Valentine’s Day in Mexico: they denounce animal sacrifices in rituals and love spells

Love is one of the most coveted universal feelings for human beings; especially romantics and enthusiasts.

Each February 14, this unique bond is commemorated in many countries, which as it matures takes the form of heartfelt affection, loyalty and admiration.

On Valentine’s Day, millions of couples celebrate their love with poems, songs, chocolates or flowers. However, around these innocent holidays they also proliferated shady traditions: sorcery spells and rites invoked by people who seek to entice and trap their loved one forever. False practices without power, but they have a very high cost.

In an interview with Infobae Mexico, Juan Jorge Avilés Ortega, President of the Mexican Institute of Fauna, Flora and Social Sustainability (IMFFSS), He explained that many of these love rituals require the sacrifice of animals. And among the abused species, one of the most disturbing is The hummingbird, which performs an invaluable function as pollinator, and every year around this time he is massacred en masse.

“The American and Mexican hummingbird is an animal that requires a lot of care, because they are pollinators, they are animals responsible for providing current biological biodiversity. Without them, like bees, the large amount of flora and fauna that currently exists in our region would not exist ”, explained the scientific communicator.

This small bird allows the sexual reproduction of plants. An essential role that begins when it injects its long beak almost to the bottom of the flower to feed on the nectar. As the substance is absorbed, the pollen stays around your mouth, where the plant’s male gametes – or sex cells – are located. The bird then goes to a new flower to repeat the process and involuntarily drops the powder from its beak on it. At this time, the gametes of the first plant slide to the ovary of the second flower and fertilization occurs.

Hummingbirds perform this operation hundreds of times a day. And with this, they promote the continuous birth of new flowers and fruits. Partly because of this function, they are traditionally associated with love and fertility.

Despite its importance for biodiversity, and being an animal protected by Mexican law, every February, thousands of hummingbirds are captured in the national territory for “Moorings”, a magical-religious ritual which is invoked to conquer the heart of the loved one.

“The person must acquire a hummingbird, dead or alive. This ritual is done regularly on February 14. They are asked to do it at night and with candles, with the figure of a crucified Jesus and the photograph of the loved one. What a lot of them say is that you have to tie the hummingbird to a photo, with a thread, and bring it with, that is, if it is a man . If it is a woman, the hummingbird is placed with the photo attached in the same way and is simply placed on the altar “explained Avilés Ortega.

Moreover, for the spell to take effect, tradition says that you have to say a prayer, known as La Chuparrosa.

“You must give a sentence where it is explained that it is recognized the importance of the hummingbird in biodiversity, for it is responsible for feeding on nectar, and it is requested that this same nectar have the capacity to reach the loved one, to touch his soul and to attract the attention of the person to whom he is linked ”.

When a wizard is asked if another bird can be used in the ritual, the answer is always no. And it is that since pre-Hispanic times, the hummingbird is considered a sacred animal, linked to the gods and symbol of eternal love.

Aztec legend says that a long time ago there were two children who, growing up, fell madly in love with each other. Her name was Huitzilin and she was Xóchitl.

One day the young man had to go to war, and soon after he lost his life in combat. Xóchitl, broken with pain, begged the Sun God, Tonatiuh, to allow him to meet the warrior, and he, moved, turned her into a flower. However, the cocoon remained closed until a small bird approached it. It was Huitzilin who had transformed into a hummingbird to return to his beloved. Recognizing him, she opened her petals and showed her precious orange color. It was a beautiful cempasuchil.

Since then, it has been said that whenever the Day of the Dead flower grows in Mexico and hummingbirds hover around it, the love of Hutzilin and Xóchitl will last.

This beautiful Aztec belief has led some people to regard the species as an amulet for love, and to create meaningless sadistic rites in which the animal is sacrificed or abused with the intention of manipulating the feelings of the desired person. However, Juan Jorge Avilés clarified that these rites were not performed by pre-Hispanic civilizations, as they felt great respect for these birds.

“From there all this type of magico-religious ritual follows, but before, our ancestors the Mexica very much appreciated these animals and appreciated having them alive”, He said.

In the Republic, hummingbird traffickers capture them in wild areas then, they distribute it on traditional markets, where they sell them for a price between 10 and 15 dollars.

“In Mexico, mainly in Mexico City, they are sold in traditional markets, such as the Sonoran market, where different magic-religious rituals are practiced, and many religions converge, ”said the expert.

It is totally forbidden to capture a specimen, because many species of hummingbirds are threatened or in danger of extinction.

“Currently in America we have 330 species. In Mexico City, there are about four species of hummingbirds. And here, these populations are in danger of extinction. And why? The urbanization of the habitat and the lack of pollinating plants are the most serious problems. The use of agrochemicals also affects hummingbirds, as well as climate change and the illegal capture of these animals ”.

NOM-059-SEMARNAT-2010 protects 12 types of hummingbirds, considering them at risk. And in Mexico, Article 13.B.1 of the capital’s constitution prohibits mistreating any animal it considers to be “sentient beings”.

“It is totally illegal to capture these animals. They are in Semarnat rule 059/2010, and in Mexico City, article 13 of the Constitution establishes that they are sentient beings and that anyone who causes the death of an animal must pay a punitive sentence.. In this case, of course, food animals, farm animals, are out of the ordinary. But the hummingbird does not fall into this category, so it is protected by Semarnat, by the CDMX Constitution and the CDMX Animal Protection Act, ”said Juan Jorge Avilés.

The authorities insist that these sadistic rites be eradicated, and for this they have launched awareness campaigns near traditional markets, in order to make the population understand that the hummingbird is a bird with a vital function for biodiversity, and it is much better to enjoy it alive.

“It’s a crime to be committed and it encourages more violence. The best is to have live hummingbirds, and they can do it from your balcony, from your window, it is not necessary to have a garden, with which we have pots with plants, we can enjoy it, appreciate the hovering hummingbird alive instead of having it as a dead amulet, ”the science communicator said.

Due to its metabolism, the hummingbird cannot survive in captivity. It floats 80 to 200 times per second, and its heart beats at around 200 beats per minute. But if we want to, we can see them prowling near their homes if we place the right pollinating plants, such as sabita, azalea, bougainvillea or giant. To this end, the Mexican Institute of Fauna, Flora and Social Sustainability organizes free workshops to teach citizens how to create these special gardens, which also help the ecosystem.

“How nice it would be if the loved one came and instead of finding a dead amulet, he found a garden with flowers”added Juan Jorge Avilés.

Turtle, pigeon and rooster eggs

Hummingbirds aren’t the only species affected by senseless superstitions and depraved Valentine’s Day rituals. As the President of IMFFSS explains, sea turtle eggs are also eaten at this time.

“They are considered the best aphrodisiacs, that’s what they say, we know it’s not like that, but unfortunately it is believed that turtle eggs are the best aphrodisiacs and are also widely consumed in our country, ”he revealed.

According to the science broadcaster, in Mexico City, they are sold on the black market, mainly Tepito.

“In Tepito, these eggs are sold illegally, unfortunately the authorities were unable to enter. They have closed their eyes because practically this black market is joined by the big mafias of drug trafficking. This is a very serious problem, but what we are also doing is raising awareness about turtle eggs are not aphrodisiacs and that you can also catch salmonella and that a very serious gastrointestinal problem can happen to you ”.

In addition, on February 14, doves and roosters are also used in the rituals of Santeria. But as they are considered farm animals, explains Juan Jorge Avilés, they are not protected by any regulations.

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