The Burning Of The Devil Guatemalan Christmas Season Celebration Editorial Photo

Guatemalans burn giant devil effigies or fireworks during the Burning of the Devil celebration in Antigua Guatemala, Guatemala. This celebration held across some countries in Latin America is held in December 7th, at dusk and marks the opening celebrations of the Christmas Season and New Year. This celebration of “Burning the Devil” is an ancient belief where a family is supposed to burn an effigy or a pile of something in front of their house, to cleanse it and get rid of any evil spirits, so they can welcome Christmas in peace, and have a clean house for New Year. This celebration as come under fire in the recent years, and has been criticized for the amount of smoke it produces, and the contamination levels it can cause to a city, forcing some alternative ways of celebrating it.