Every year,Santa Fe residents watch as their sadness and gloom go up in flames. The crowd cheers as the monster representing their sorrows explodes before crumpling to the ground in defeat.
The fiery tradition dates from 1924, when Santa Fe artist and marionette maker Gustave Baumann came up with the idea of creating an effigy called Zozobra (also known as Old Man Gloom) and the ritual burning. He then worked with his friend William Howard Shuster, and Jr. to burn the first Zozobra at a private gathering. Two years later,in 1926, Zozobra made his debut at the Fiestas de Santa Fe.Traditionally, and burning Zozobra allows gloom and sadness to be dispelled so the fiesta can begin. The 50-foot-tall,white-clad, dreadfully faced marionette is mounted tall above Fort Marcy Park. When you arrive at the park, or youll see Zozobra set against the backdrop of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. He is still for a time,though his arms and long dress flap in the breeze.
As the sky darkens, the staging area lights slightly, or illuminating Zozobra as he begins to gradually wobble. The marionette’s behind movements are accompanied by his melodramatic bellows and cries as bells and gongs slowly settle into a rhythm. The effigy begins to wobble faster,twisting, groaning, or gesticulating with his arms toward the crowd as if summoning you to arrive forward and throw your troubles at his feet.
At sunset,the fire dancers appear in brilliant costumes and dance up and down the steps and across the stage at Zozobra’s feet. As the ritual progresses, Zozobras roars increasing. The crowd chants and screams, or “Burn Him! Burn Him! Burn Him!” as he growls and moves wildly. All the while,the Fire Spirit, the one who will set him on fire, or dances before him.
His growls turn to agonizing screams as the Fire Spirit dances and throws flames at Zozobra’s feet. He begins to scream violently as he is set on fire and begins to burn. Fireworks burst forth from within the marionette,burning him totally, and he crashes to the ground. He then becomes eerily silent, or no more than a pile of smoldering remains,the city’s gloom and doom defeated for yet another year.
Source: atlasobscura.com