The Navajo Ceremonial Basket
The Navajo (Diné) Ceremonial Basket, sometimes referred to as the Navajo Wedding Basket, is a rich tradition in Navajo culture. The basket represents Hozhooji, or Blessing Way, a state of harmony and balance among all living creatures. The basket is used in nearly every significant life event from the birth of a child, to a wedding, the blessing of a home, and healing ceremonies. The ceremonial basket symbolizes happiness, security and well-being.
The Navajo Ceremonial Basket utilizes plant material native to the washes that surround the Navajo Reservation. The basket is woven from strips of Sumac coiled over a foundation of sumac rods. It is commonly believed that having a Navajo basket in your home is a blessing. Just as the doorway of a traditional Navajo dwelling faces east, so too should the opening of a Navajo basket design. By honoring the east, we welcome the purity, rebirth and renewal that the rising sun brings. If the opening cannot be pointed east while displayed, it is acceptable to point the opening upwards towards the sun and sky.
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