New Year in Quito

In the afternoon  of Dec 31, young men dress up as girls and women, and stop cars in the street to ask for money, they are the widows of the old year and need donations. Interesting tradition that these days are a bit of an irritation as the young ones are every few hundred meters in more or less every street in town.

The last few days before New Year every street corner have these "dolls" for sale (stuffed with newspaper or straw). They are burned in the streets during new years eve, and symbolize burning the bad old things for good luck. Some are cartoon characters, some hero types and quite a few politicians.

And then they burn, either one by one or piled in heaps in the streets

Starting little by little after dark the night turns into an image of civil war at midnight and for hours later. Big parties in the streets and ear shattering loud music until the morning.