n.a ritualistic festival held by the Hopi
Indians of
North America for several days every two years and which includes the skilled
handling of live snakes. Most of the
ceremonies of the festival are done in
secret; however, on the last
day the
Snake Dance occurs where performers
catch the snakes in their teeth and arms and dance. After the festival the snakes are
released into the desert from where they had been collected. There it is believed they will communicate with the
rain gods,
telling them to make
rain for the tribe who had treated them well.