Argentinian Chinese Online December 31, 2019 New Year's Day burning rag dolls is an ancestral tradition that originated from Christian, Maya and Garifuna (Garifuna are descendants of Africans, Caribbeans and Arava aborigines from various parts of the Caribbean, mainly living in Honduras).
According to custom, the ragdoll must be made of old clothes and newspaper, and when burned, it must all be reduced to ashes.
The New Year's Burning Rag Doll is a ritual that aims to burn away the bad things of the year that is about to pass, stay away from bad luck or negative energy, and begin the transition to the new year.
Three cities in Argentina are known for following this tradition. In the cities of La Plata, Berriso and Ensenada, it has been popular since the 1950s.
According to historical records, in 1956, in front of a shop on 10th and 40th Streets in La Plata, it became a tradition for local people to burn dolls in honor of Cambaceres Football Club.
The custom also spread to the capital city of Buenos Aires through word of mouth, where local residents would use the opportunity to get together and make rag dolls to be burned. Competitions were also held and the news was widely disseminated through the media.
Over the years, this traditional custom has been refined and spread to the 77th Street between the 13th and 14th Streets in the city of La Plata. In the days leading up to the New Year, old clothes, newspapers, wood and paint were collected to make rag dolls, which at first resembled scarecrows, but were later helped by university design students to make the tradition better inherited, and the structure and quality of rag dolls improved.
In 2000, the city of La Plata was declared the "New Year's Day Ragdoll Capital" of Argentina.