Say the word Xilonen and most people will have never heard of the word, how to pronounce it or its meaning (I was one of those people). You can write dissertations on the subject but I’ll just provide a few facts here. Xilonen is a Nahuatl word, a Mesoamerican language still used mostly in parts of Central Mexico. Nahuatl was the language of the Aztecs. The word itself, Xilonen, means young tender ears of maíz (corn). Symbolically it is a rite of passage for young women and it seems to be a gr... dalvarez David Alvarez comment-35122 2010-08-19T07:58:28Z 2010-08-19T07:58:28Z JoAnn, I posted a set of pictures on the following website under Xilonen. http://dalvarezphoto.smugmug.com/ Please let me know if you were able to read this answer to your comment. -David David Alvarez 2010-08-19T07:58:28Z JoAnn Anglin comment-34639 2010-08-11T05:35:51Z 2010-08-11T05:35:51Z A well-written story and beautiful pictures. It is great that these lovely young women are able to make this traditional coming of age from their own culture, even as they ready for success in the larger culture. JoAnn Anglin 2010-08-11T05:35:51Z