The burning of the devil in Guatemala: culture, satire, and environmental awareness

Guatemala City.- Hundreds of Guatemalan artisan families depend on the production of piñatas allegorical to the devil that, every December 7, are consumed by fire in a centennial tradition, which has also been transformed into an expression of social criticism.

Marco Antonio González, with more than 35 years at the head of the Piñatas Tom & Jerry workshops, has been preparing since April to make devils up to 3.5 meters, which require four days of work. "It's a normal, literal piñata, but yes, with a design and a finish of little details that experience has led us to make," González told EFE, who offers designs ranging from 20 to 3,000 quetzals (between 2.61 and 392.10 dollars). The "burning of the devil", celebrated at 6:00 PM, commemorates in the Catholic religion the triumph of the Virgin of Conception over Satan. Historically, the ritual had roots in colonial luminaries with dry branches. The particular tradition unites families in popular neighborhoods and colonies of Guatemala City, where the burning of piñatas is accompanied by pyrotechnics.

The burning of devil piñatas evolved over decades into the mass burning of garbage, tires, and plastic waste with the idea of purifying homes. This practice generated severe environmental pollution and fire hazards in recent decades.

It was the need to mitigate the damage that drove the rise of the paper piñata in the 1990s as a cleaner alternative. The artisan González validates this by indicating that paper is "much more volatile" and has fewer "toxic elements" than burned waste.

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"It has been a little less harmful for the environment," he affirmed, when recommending the piñata as a responsible option. Beyond the environmental aspect, in recent years the festivity has taken on a strong political character. González has created "humor" and "satire" designs that replicate figures singled out for corruption, such as the Attorney General of the Public Ministry, Consuelo Porras (sanctioned by the United States and the European Union), or some former presidents of the country. The piñata thus becomes a burning critique of "the nefarious ways of what they do in their politics," sentenced the artisan. Even González has made this year piñatas of US President Donald Trump dressed in the uniform of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Service (ICE), adding an international touch to his satire on that country's immigration policy.