Ecuador's New Year's Eve tradition of burning life-sized años viejos is called burning effigies.
Families and communities make large figures from paper, cardboard, wood, and other combustible materials. The figures may represent disliked public figures, fictional characters, or the old year itself. At midnight, they are burned as a symbolic farewell to the past and a ritual cleansing before the new year.
The Spanish phrase año viejo means “old year,” and the figures are often called monigotes. Some displays are highly elaborate, with painted faces and detailed costumes. In parts of Ecuador, people also stage humorous performances or write wishes and resolutions connected with the ritual.
These fires are not the same as ordinary fireworks displays. The custom is especially associated with Ecuador, although related old-year effigy practices occur elsewhere in Latin America. Safety rules and local restrictions can affect how and where the figures are burned.