Thousands of people gathered at dawn under the huge Pyramid of the Sun in Teotihuacan – in Mexico, one of the most important testimonies of pre-Columbian civilizations: they were there to welcome the vernal equinox, the day when, after winter, the hours of light equal those of darkness and then continue to increase towards summer.
Tourists, Mexican citizens, the curious and believers of various cults, many dressed in white, have climbed the Pyramid of the Sun to immerse themselves in the first rays of day and the new season with their hands raised. Some believe that this rite gives them a special energy.
It takes place every year on the days of the equinoxes: March 20 or 21 for the beginning of spring, September 22 or 23 for the beginning of autumn. The Pyramid of the Sun is the third largest in the world: it was built about 2000 years ago and apparently served the function of a sacred place and an observation point for astronomical and meteorological phenomena.