How do people celebrate
New Year around the world?
...in Colombia?
Burning "Mr. Old Year" is
a New Year's tradition in some cities of Colombia. It requires the participation
of the entire family. It is a lot of fun; they fabricate a big stuffed
male doll that represents the old year.
Then they stuff the doll
with different materials. Sometimes they put some little fireworks in it
to make it more exciting at the time they burn it. Also, they put things
inside that they don't want anymore, objects that can bring sadness or
bad memories. These things will burn with the old year, meaning that they
want to forget all the bad things that happened during the past year. They
dress the man with old clothes from each member of the family.
Then, on New Year's Eve at
midnight, they set the doll on fire. This symbolizes burning the past and
getting ready to start a happy New Year without bad memories of the past.
(Martha Leverett)
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