The man in the red suit...

Christmas has been in the air here in Guatemala for weeks. The local beer company, Gallo, put up decorations on the streets (including their name as sponsor)and a ginormous tree at the intersection of Avenida de las Americas and Avenida Reforma and the stores are full of all things Christmas. We have been singing carols at church since the beginning of November. So you would think it not surprising to see local vendors selling the man in the red suit. But wait...





A typo???? SATANS for sale? (Just scramble the letters and SANTA becomes SATAN.) No, our jolly guy in the red suit is indeed Satan-and the #7 on his suit is for Dec. 7.

Every year, in the midst of the Christmas season, Guatemalans give the devil his due. According to tradition, all year long, the devil hides in the corners and dark places of a house, worming his way into old papers, garbage, and dust. This brings bad luck (and bugs, allergies, etc..)

So,every Dec. 7, Guatemalans clean every nook and cranny in their houses, gathering up junk, old newspapers...even dust, and build a giant, highly combustible pile in front of their houses.

The man in the red suit, a "Prince of Darkness" pinata, is added to the pile and at exactly 6 pm, the entire unholy heap is set ablaze. (Thank heavens all the houses are constructed from cement. I don't think our bomberos (firemen) could handle an inferno...)

The bonfires, along with the firecrackers and fireworks that freaked out the doggies, is how we here in Guatemala celebrate "La Quema del Diablo"--the Burning of the Devil. Satan is swept from the homes and sent straight back to He**.

Now we can concentrate on the other guy in the red suit...