The celebration puts the creativity of piñata makers to the test each year and sparks debate about environmental damage due to the amount of smoke and toxic substances released.
The so-called rite of purification of the soul and home through fire seeks to remove the evil represented by the tailed figure and trident as a prelude to the Christmas holiday and a harbinger of a clean entry into the New Year.
On this great day, Panateira sells a variety of “little devils”, the preparation of which includes black and red paper napkins with the number 7 on the box.
However, after seeing the typical figures succumb to the night, many public officials at neighborhood family gatherings were “burned” at the foot of the bonfires as a sign of social discontent.
Other piñatas demonstrated the ingenuity of two young men by rejecting the current impunity, the high prices of the basic basket and fuel.
With the passage of time, the celebration of December 7 has been stripped of its purely religious meaning and now responds more to the purification and removal of evil spirits from homes or to getting rid of the old and making room for the new, a perfect metaphor for bringing together the desire of different social organizations calling for profound changes.
But the controversy is also about the “burning of the devil”, because sometimes instead of piñatas, everything that is useless from the houses is set on fire such as books, old papers, mattresses, nylon and plastic that pollute the air, not forgetting the great riots. Fireworks announce the celebration at 06:00 local time.
However, with great monitoring by municipal authorities, firefighters, the Red Cross and the police, Guatemalans do not overlook history, especially in 2022 that COVID-19 has given a break and families are back together to enjoy the celebration of its various characteristics across the country.
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