Reflections: New Year 2004
| Events: |
Nacimientos | New Year 2004 | My First Taller | Lenten Processions |
Places: |
Antigua | Outskirts of Antigua |
Topics of Interest: |
Volcanoes | Security Concerns |
Well, a New Year’s Eve unlike all others. For the past couple of years, Antigua businesses along the often-photographed "arch street"; have sponsored a street festival and this year's was evidently the largest ever. The street is a famous landmark in Antigua for its baroque-era yellow Arch of Saint Catherine that once connected the parts of a cloister. We happened to see a notice about the New Year's Eve activities while in a restaurant on the street, and went out at around 10 p.m. to see what was up.
What was up was a crowd of people of all ages, laughing and milling all
along the street between the main square and the arch. There was music:
marimba orchestras and Andean bands, actually made up, I understand, of
Kaqchikel Maya musicians from nearby towns! 
There
was every kind of whistle and noisemaker. The cafes were filled with diners
and drinkers, and the peoplewho lived in the houses were leaning out of
their second floor balconies. Everyone in the street was on the lookout
for the constantly exploding firecrackers and cherry bombs. Highlights of
the evening were the burning of the toritos (little bulls) and
the alas voladores (flying wings).
I first saw a burning torito in Santa Eulalia when I worked there in the 1970s. A torito is basically a framework of wood in the shape of a triangle to form the bull's body, embellished with horns and a rope tail. Firecrackers are tied all over the framework, which is mounted on the back of a courageous young boy who dances beneath it as the firecrackers are lit and explode.The ones I saw in Santa Eulalia 30 years ago were crude affairs, but the same fundamental idea remains in the fancier ones used for Antigua’s New Year celebration. Now though, there were five tiers of firecrackers along the sides that ignited in sequence, colored fireworks that shot sparks into the air mounted along the spine, and a twirling sparkler tail that spun dots of flame into the observing crowd. The bull danced and ran along the street, the people clearing a way before it. Soon after came the flying wing, a butterfly-shaped framework with a similar design and purpose. A couple of meters across, its fiery wings fizzed glitter all the way to the sidewalk. Not at all the sort of thing that would be permitted at your local block party, but muy alegre, as Guatemalans say. Very exciting, very happy, indeed.
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As midnight approached we saw that large numerals for 2003 and 2004 were mounted beside the arch clock, and another set of numerals, in fireworks, had been erected underneath by Gallo brand beer. It was past midnight on our watches – and still five minutes before on the arch clock – when the signal came. The numeral lights were lit and the Gallo numbers exploded! It was suddenly 2004 and the loudest, brightest, noisiest New Year’s Eve we ever spent was over. Or almost. Firecrackers continued sporadically the rest of night and all the next day. And for several days thereafter. We heard people say later that everyone would have to go back to work on January 5th just to pay for all of this year’s firecrackers. I believe it!