Fuego (Spanish) or Fire (English)
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| [courtesy of DB McNicol] |
Before I could say Rumpelstiltskin, they knocked him to the ground and swarmed around his now lifeless body.
Their screaming laughter split the cool night air as fireworks burst overhead.
Several people moved forward and began kicking the still figure.
A single name rang out over and over in a raucous chant, but I couldn't make it out.
I tried to push my way through, nervous but wanting to help, and was forced backward by an unexpected explosion of flames.
As my eyes adjusted, I realized many in the group were children and they were laughing and jumping around as they shouted with joy.
A burst of gunfire erupted; no, not gunfire, firecrackers, as the figure on the grounds slowly turned to ashes.
This was my introduction to New Year's Eve in Ecuador where puppets are purchased, named, then beaten and set on fire, fueled by newspaper or sawdust stuffing.
All this to send away the troubles of the past year and bring in a good new year, especially for the "named" effigy; never use the name of an enemy or you are wishing them good luck in the future.
My theme is 10x10.
A maximum of ten sentences, a minimum of 100 words.
A maximum of ten sentences, a minimum of 100 words.
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| My 2012 A-Z Story Book is now free |
I didn't know where this was going at first…whew! Glad it turned out to be what it was. :)
ReplyDeleteMadeline @ The Shellshank Redemption
Minion, Capt. Alex's Ninja Minion Army
The 2014 Blogging from A-Z Challenge
What an interesting celebration!
ReplyDeleteDeb@ http://debioneille.blogspot.com
I like your little poster on the sideline – keep calm and write flash. :-)
ReplyDeleteDeb@ http://debioneille.blogspot.com
This grabbed me from the start ... so many possibilities open, and I am glad it was only a celebration. Interesting one.
ReplyDeleteSilvia @
SilviaWrites
I was concerned at first and then the explanation came. Traditions are so varied the world over. First time I've heard of this one.
ReplyDeleteThank you all for visiting and commenting. Since I took the photo used, it was fun to play with it.
ReplyDeleteThank God it was a puppet...the starting was really chilling! In India we celebrate a festival called Diwali, where we celebrate good over evil by burning the puppet of the demon called Ravana. This was a great poem and introduced me to a new culture! Thanks!
ReplyDeleteThank you Aditi, it is interesting to learn about different traditions from various countries.
DeleteReally liked this one, but then I do have a dark streak. ;)
ReplyDeleteDark side? You? Naw....LOL! Glad you enjoyed it...
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