In Ecuador's New Year's Eve tradition, effigies are burned to symbolically discard the old year.
The figures are known as monigotes, or Año Viejo dolls, and are commonly made from paper, cardboard, cloth, sawdust, or other combustible materials. Families and neighborhoods create figures representing famous people, fictional characters, politicians, or personal themes from the departing year.
At midnight on December 31, the effigies are burned. The ceremony represents saying goodbye to the old year and leaving behind its troubles. Some displays are elaborate artistic constructions, while others are small homemade figures made for a household celebration.
Because the figures may portray public figures, the tradition also provides a humorous way to comment on current events. Safety and local regulations matter, and the custom is not identical in every Ecuadorian city or family.