Cuenca, Ecuador: Celebrating the Old Year by Burning it Down

Action
On New Years Eve 2004, Renate and I took a bus from Alausi to Cuenca, in the highlands of Ecuador. Driving along the mountain roads, we were repeatedly stopped by blockades of hyperactive costumed youth, who would let us pass only after some friendly harassment and solicitation of monetary donations. Some of the costumes were genuinely frightening.


Upon arriving in Cuenca, we found the streets full of huge figurines, often in strange and surprising poses:




As we passed by the street scenes, people tending to them would often grab us and lead us around the dioramas and figures, explaining their significance. Apparently, many individual neighborhoods, families, and organizations had created their own displays for what was called Año Viejo (Old Year). Each scene was intended to mock, celebrate, or recreate some memorable happening from the year that was ending.

Later in the afternoon and evening, people began to burn many of the figurines in the streets. Someone explained to us that this served to expel the presence of the year’s more unpopular people (e.g. politicians, celebrities, sports stars).


As midnight approached, we could see at least 5 fires burning around our building, amidst the firecrackers being exploded by kids in the streets.


Reflection
Growing up in the US, my parents rarely let me participate in street blockades or burn effigies on the sidewalks, not even when celebrating New Years. Renate keeps telling me that I turned out ok, but I still wonder how differently things might have been if my parents had spent more time fanning the flames of celebratory street fires with me. Or if I’d been able to nourish my creative instincts more by building giant derogatory representations of civic leaders. Or if I’d learned to block traffic at an earlier age.

Sure, fireworks at Baltimore’s Inner Harbor were nice, but did they really further my understanding of socio-political developments of the past year? Did I personally learn any new creative or destructive skills? Did they allow me to work together with my neighbors to beautify our streets and molest passing cars? Watching the fires burn as the clock struck midnight, I couldn’t help but feel a biting sense of deprivation. Or maybe I had just inhaled too many smoke fumes…

Question
Who or what would you have burned in effigy for 2004? What street dioramas would you have constructed? How would you have harassed motorists?