Ecuador’s elaborate New Years’ Eve effigy burnings
Posted by staff / December 31, 2014
Well, here’s a tradition the local fire department definitely doesn’t want you to adopt though it’s one way to light up the night.
According to Atlas Obscura:
In Ecuador at the stroke of midnight, people around the country bring effigies of politicians, pop culture figures, and other icons of the year to torch in the streets. This tradition of burning the “año viejo” (“old year”) is symbolic of cleansing the bad from the previous 12 months before the new year commences. If you’re going for extra credit, you can even jump the flames 12 times for each month, although you risk joining the effigy yourself in the fire.
So, add the staff at the ER to that list of disapproving entities, and check out some of elaborate projects that have gone up in flames.
Photo credit: Agencia de Noticias ANDES
Photo credit: Agencia de Noticias ANDES
Photo credit: Prefectura de la Provincia del Guayas
Full story at Atlas Obscura via Neatorama.
Feature photo credit: Esteban Mendieta Jara, Graphics credit: Canva
I don’t know. That giant Joker is kinda cool. I might want to save that one instead of burning it. 🙂