 People caught animals, including mammals, birds, snakes, lizards and fish, for ten days before the festival in order to throw them into the hearth on the night of the festival.On the tenth day of Izcalli, during a festival called "huauhquiltamalcualiztli" ("eating of the amaranth leaf tamales"), the New Fire was lighted, signifying the change of the annual cycle and the rebirth of the fire deity.During the night the image of the god was lit with using the "mamalhuatzin".