Every summer for 85 years, Santa Fe artisans have built a giant effigy of wood and chicken wire, then stuffed it with woes. They named the thing Zozobra, but many here just call him Old Man Gloom.
And when he is stuffed full, thousands of people gather to watch him set afire in a spectacular ritual of public catharsis.
So on Thursday, in the rain, Ms. Bourassa marched up to the “Gloom tent” set up in a city park and handed the darkest period of her life over to a stranger.
She had plenty of company. Jilted brides drop off wedding dresses to cram inside the 50-foot-tall figure. Cancer patients bring hospital gowns. Foreclosure papers and credit cards, police reports, photographs of old lovers and uniforms from jobs gone bust all end up inside the creature with mournful black eyes and an expression that leaves no doubt that he is bearing the weight of the world. When his long white robes are ignited in a ceremonial bonfire, all the cares go up in smoke.
After months of soaring unemployment, shrinking investments and failing businesses, anticipation was keener than ever for this year’s bonfire. As the moment drew near on Thursday, more than 20,000 packed the field.
Through the afternoon and evening, people surged toward a collection box to deposit offerings that would be dumped into Zozobra.
Do go over and read the whole thing.
I have no idea what bucket to put this post into, so I won’t.
Sounds like the Temple burn at Burning Man. It’s done the night after the man burns. Amazing to witness.
Found some pictures and videos at Laughing Squid.
Pagan ritualistic superstition.
Did they file an environmental impact statement for this??
What about the carbon footprint of this burning?
Do they have a city permit?
Where the heck is Al Gore on this?
How about Franklin Raines? Can we stuff him up the robes?