In Guatemalan Christmas tradition, what annual ceremony burns a symbolic devil on 7 December?

In Guatemalan Christmas tradition, La Quema del Diablo burns a symbolic devil on 7 December.

The ceremony takes place on the eve of the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. Families and communities traditionally burn an effigy representing the devil, often alongside old household objects, as a symbolic cleansing before the Christmas season begins.

In Guatemala City and elsewhere, the event has included bonfires, fireworks and public gatherings. The ritual has also changed over time because burning rubbish can create smoke, pollution and fire hazards. Some communities now use safer, more controlled effigies or public displays.

The ceremony is sometimes confused with the burning of Judas practiced in other places around Easter. La Quema del Diablo is specifically tied to 7 December and the start of Guatemala’s Christmas-season observances.