Slide Show of Burning of the Devil in Antigua Guatemala

Burning of the Devil in Antigua Guatemala

All year long he hides under the bed or in the junk piled up in the corner, casting misfortune or worse on helpless mortals. But on Wednesday, December 7, at 6 p.m. sharp, the Devil gets his comeuppance, as he is tossed out of the house along with the trash and set ablaze in the Quema del Diablo (Burning of the Devil), a tradition in many Guatemalan towns that literally sparks the beginning of the Christmas Season.

The origins of the Quema del Diablo in Guatemala can be traced to colonial times, when the well-to-do adorned the fronts of their homes with elaborate lanterns on the eve of the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, explains historian Miguel Álvarez Arévalo. Unable to afford lanterns, poor denizens instead lit bonfires made of kindling and the trash from their homes. The practice over time evolved into the Quema del Diablo. (Quoted from Juan Carlos Ordoñez’s article The Devil Gets His Due in Revue Magazine—click the link to continue reading the article.)

It occurred to me very late on December 7 that perhaps this year I should do a time-lapse video of the Quema del Diablo, Burning of the Devil. However, since I have never done a time lapse video, I had no idea how to do it. So, a slide show with a few photos of the climax of the Burning of the Devil will have to do this year. I promise, I will learn how to do time lapse videos as soon as possible and I will bring you some interesting videos pretty soon. Stay tune!

Please, take you time to let me know what you think of the slide show of the Burning of the Devil in Antigua Guatemala?

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