Burning the Old, In with the New

We have this habit of thinking of fire as bad, a force of destruction bringing down forests and homes and lives. What we often forget is the good in flame, the soothing and mesmerizing blue-orange flickers that bring you warmth and calm while out camping or on a cold winter’s night. And what of the hope in fire? The potential it adds to our life, for eating well and for keeping warm and all of that.

Then there’s the metaphor of our internal fires: the fire of love, the fire of passion, the fire of our drive. Like some sort of pilot light, these fires push and enable us to do the things we never thought were possible.

In any case, this New Year’s Eve has gotten me thinking about fire because of the most popular tradition down here on December 31st: burning effigies.

They burn “el año viejo,” an effigy with a mask of a man who looks like he’s crying over the difficulties of a long year that’s now on its way out. They also burn important figures of this year (so many of Rafael Correa a ton, and a few Obamas) and some other random characters.

When I first heard about the tradition, I thought it was interesting and I think it’ll be a fun time out. But after talking about it with my host family some more, I realized that it’s so much more than just stuffing old clothes with newspaper and putting a mask on top—it’s more about superstition and hope and release.

You burn “yourself” to guarantee a good year, to guarantee that you’ll have enough work, etc. Last year they “burned” my host dad and this year they’ve never been in want of work, there’s always been enough food on the table—it’s been a good year.

It’s also a type of cathartic experience, burning old clothes, burning the “you” of 2008 to prepare yourself for however the “you” of 2009 will develop. You burn the bad so you’re not dwelling on it any longer, so that you can go forward on as clean a slate as you can get (because you can never truly start anew, just try to get a firm grasp on what your past means for your present).

After you burn the effigies you’re supposed to take suitcases and walk around the block, “traveling” to start the new year (but watch out for the black market fireworks—ay).

After everything, the smoke is still clinging to the air in Quito, as if 2008 is not quite ready to go away.

I’m not one for New Year’s resolutions, so lucky for me the tradition here is that you eat 12 grapes (rapid-fire) and say 12 desires for the new year. I was so stressed about inhaling my grapes that I didn’t have time to really come up with 12! I’ve got to think about that some more…

I have no clue what this semester, let alone this year as a whole, has to bring me. My internship is still not settled and I don’t know in the slightest what it’s going to be like isolated from the other 4 academic year girls for the most part, and especially without all the 24 people who are already back in the States. Who knows. I’m sure it’ll be challenging in many respects but I only find myself learning and growing so it is definitely all good in the end. And I’m sure I’ll be back in the States before I know it, figuring out how to make this huge puzzle piece of an experience will fit into my life once back. We’ll see!

In any case, I hope you’re ringing in 2009 safely and happily, with people you enjoy and making great memories to transition to this new calendar! ¡Feliz año nuevo!