New Year´s Day is filled with tradition.
One of my favorite Ecuadorian traditions is the burning of muñecas.
Every household makes a lifesize muñeca (doll) or more than one to represent the old year. The muñeca can be a famous figure (like The Hulk or your favorite telenovela character), someone your know (see pictures number 3 and 8) or simply a random creation.
Sometimes the muñecas come along with a piece of paper saying goodbye to the old year, welcoming the new year and/or stating the goals for that coming year.
At midnight, everyone burns their muñecas in the streets. (It´s good luck to jump over your muñeca while it´s on fire!) Burning muñecas, fireworks and excited talking fill the town.
On New Year´s Day I walked around Puerto Quito and took photos of every muñeca I found. Here are some of my favorites:
