Old Year

In Ecuador, Año Viejo is a fiery tradition that symbolically burns up the failures, regrets and anger of the old year in order to usher in the hopes and resolutions of the new one. On the last day of the year, people construct effigies that might represent an irritating person, a disliked political figure, or even disappointment about past mistakes or unachieved goals. A handwritten note is pinned to the dummy explaining why it must be burned and what changes and improvements are desired for the coming year. Then, to a chorus of cheers and clapping, the effigy is thrown into the street and burned to ashes. Although the origins of this custom are murky, many believe it dates back to a particularly virulent yellow fever epidemic that required the mass burning of corpses.

When my wife and I were studying Spanish in Quito, we had an opportunity to participate in this custom. The teachers and students at our school teamed up to create an effigy. We collected old clothes for the body and stuffed it full of crumpled newspaper. We put a wooden dowel down its back so the dummy could face impending immolation with a stiff spine. A cottage industry existed on the streets for making expressive masks, and at only 99 cents per mask we choose this option. As our effigy neared completion, our teachers said that we students could benefit from an exorcism, and suggested that we confess our sins and promise better behavior for the new year.

I was elected to enumerate our failings and our resolutions. At the time I was frustrated with the laziness of many of the students in our school. And so, for them I wrote, “I was a bad student. I never studied much. I never did the homework that my professor gave me. I always spoke in my own language. For my sins my professors have decided to burn me up. I promise to be a good student in the next life!” We pinned our missive to the effigy and took him outside. As the flames claimed him, we laughed and said we would all try harder tomorrow.

Walking back to our apartment later that day, we encountered the smoldering remains of dozens of effigies in the streets. Laughter, cheering and honking horns were the sounds of the evening. Even the security guards in our building had an effigy they were saving for a midnight bonfire. As the new year approached, we realized the hopes and regrets expressed by the Ecuadorians were not so different from those of our own countrymen.