The Burning of the Dummy

A new year has arrived, right on schedule. It is nice to know that some things don’t change. A New Year’s Day activity that I knew in my youth was the burning of the dummy. I believe this tradition began in Ecuador. My exposure to it came by way of some kids down the block named the Kennedy’s. The Kennedy’s would have a New Year’s Day party every year. Mrs. Kennedy would prepare an array of delicious finger foods and tins of Christmas cookies to feast on.

Around the end of each year, Dev and Chris Kennedy would set out to create a dummy. This dummy would consist of old clothes and be stuffed, like the Scare Crow on the Wizard of Oz, with crumpled up old newspaper. They would also implant Black Cat firecrackers and various monetary coins within their creation.

The dummy was a symbol of the past year. The coins represented good fortune for the coming year. Setting the dummy on fire represented the letting go of the past and all the bad things that had occurred during the year. When the dummy had burned and was just a pile of ashes, all the kids would search the ashes with metal yard rakes to try and find the lucky coins. Finding one of those blackened beauties was a real treat and nice keepsake, after it cooled off.

In those days, it was college football’s biggest day and everyone would watch some of the major bowl games. Since the Rose Bowl was a perennial favorite, the dummy burning would usually occur in the
late afternoon before the game. The dummy was usually soaked in a flammable material, say gasoline, before it was set on fire. The Kennedy’s backyard beneath a large Maple tree served as the backdrop for the ceremony.

With the late afternoon sun setting, the party goers were summoned out into the cold for the lighting of the dummy. Sometimes speeches were given and goodbyes were said to the year past. Then, with a flick of a Bic lighter, the dummy would catch fire. As it burned, random firecrackers would go off blowing off parts of the body. The Kennedy boys were always at the ready with their tending rakes to corral any fiery projectiles back into the arena. When the explosions had stopped and the ashes had cooled, the small kids were allowed to try and find the lucky coins. Any undiscovered coins either remained for prosperity or became like bullets when the lawnmower came by in the summer.

The Kennedy’s over time had to remind the neighbor kids that this was in fact supposed to be a family party and that like teenagers still trick or treating, our welcome had run its course. I never knew of anyone that burned a dummy on New Year’s Day before the Kennedy’s and have not met anyone since.

Maybe this year I’ll start up the tradition here in Colorado. Since this past year has been one filled with challenges and tragedies, I for one would like to usher it out with a size 11 boot well placed for emphasis. Anybody got some coins I could use for this year’s good luck?