Burning the Devil to Prepare for Christmas
With the burning of the devil last night, the Christmas season in Guatemala has officially begun. Since colonial times, Guatemalans have burned an effigy of the devil, along with paper and other trash in small bonfires in front of their homes. On many street corners throughout Guatemala City, small red-horned pinatas are sold for the “quema del diablo,” or burning of the devil, that takes place on December 7 at 6:00 p.m.
Fireworks, which are a part of the Guatemalan Christmas tradition, are sometimes placed inside the tissue paper devils or accompany the devil as he burns. According to local legend, the burning of the devil is to purify the house and clean it of evil spirits. From the sound of the fireworks last night at 6:00, a lot of people were banishing malicious spirits from the neighborhood!
Although the enormous Gallo beer sponsored Christmas tree has been erected at the Obelisco for a couple of weeks and street lights along Las Americas are already adorned with holiday decorations, the Quema del Diablo is the official start to the holiday season. The symbolic act of purifying one’s home may perhaps lead some to think about the true meaning of the season. The December 7 date is symbolic as it is the day before the Catholic Feast of the Immaculate Conception.
The two-feet tall devil pinatas that hang on street corners in Guatemala City at first glance could easily be confused with Santa Clause pinatas. Some street vendors even have little blow-up Santas for sell alongside the pinatas. Most pinata devils have black hair and a beard, but occasionally, blond-haired effigies will also be available for purchase. The little devils that are typically sold along the roads look as if they are waiting to be filled with candy to the delight of children.
The tradition in the former capital Antigua, always the city different, is much more elaborate. People arrive hours early to get a good spot to see the devil quickly burn. It is more of a party atmosphere as kids and adults alike adorn lighted horn headbands. A winged, horned, ominous devil effigy is doused in fuel and set on fire amidst a crowd of hundreds on a blocked-off cobble-stoned street. Perhaps more amusing than the burning of the devil, which takes only minutes, is the message, in the form of a letter that is read before the devil burns. This year, I caught a glimpse of the devil a few days before he burned. The message, a political satire of current events, questioned Guatemala as a Safe Third Country.
In past years, we purchased a devil pinata in Guatemala City and fought the crowds in Antigua to get a glimpse of the burning devil, but this year, I stayed home. It is just after 7:00 p.m. as I sit at my desk and write. The occasional firework breaks the welcoming silence as I ponder on the cathartic act of letting go of the trash or bad things that have happened this year (It’s been a doozy.) and preparing the soul for what really matters.
