[NOTE: This is a re-share of a 2007 post on Zozobra.
Many readers will be well aware of Burning Man, its location, the challenging terrain, and all that it stands for. But how many of you know much about its inspiration and origin? Read on to discover one of those lesser-known festivals directly credited with it’s inspiration.]
New Mexico really is a one-of-a-kind state. There aren’t any other states where you get quite such a potent mix of Mexican, Native American, Afro American and Old World American culture, all in one stunning state. Zozobra is one of those fine examples of historical and cultural superstition mixed in with the American avant-garde arts scene. Think Burning Man, just on a much smaller scale.
Interestingly, Zozobra pre-dates Burning Man by over 60 years, and can be directly credited with inspiring the large-scale desert festival.
Some of Zozobra’s cultural origins lie in Fiesta, a New Mexico tradition in Santa Fe dating back as far as 1712, making it the oldest celebration of its kind in all of North America. A fiesta is a celebration, it can be in any form- a feast, a party or gathering, and it can be in honour of anything- joy or happiness, to celebrate a saints day or celebrate a harvest but it is essentially about coming together, as a community and having fun.
American avant-garde artistry filters in thanks to artist William “Will” Howard Schultzer Jr’s introduction of Old Man Gloom, more commonly known as Zozobra and translating to “anguish, anxiety, or gloom”. A grumbling, arm-flailing, toothless fabric marionette symbolising all your worries and fears. He’s set alight each year at the start of fall and burnt to the ground in a spectacular display of fireworks, and as he leaves he takes away our troubles with him, to lighten our load until next year.
This Zozobra figure was introduced in 1924 by Will, as the finale to a private party for Los Cinco Pintores, an artist group who had made their way to New Mexico from across the country in the 1920s. The story goes that Will was inspired by the Holy Week traditions around Easter time made famous by the Arizona and Mexican communities of Yaqui Indians. Although here these traditions involved an effigy of Judas led through the local village on the back of donkey, before being set alight at his final destination (Zozobra, not the donkey).
One might say it is impossible to compare Burning Man and Zozobra, one is an eclectic modern-day festival that creates a metropolis in the middle of a desert creating a currency-free society to prove that we can live in harmony with one another without being greedy. The other is a historical festival with a strong culture and tradition still running through it to this day. But both encourage essentially a re-birth of oneself, a more optimistic outlook and an embracing of new beginnings. Both promote this refreshed state of mind by letting a poor old wooden figure burn to the ground in a fantastic colourful display of explosive mayhem, and the Burning Man founders even directly credit their attendance at Zozobra in the early 80s for inspiring their Nevada desert festival.
Guy Fawkes, eat your heart out!
The Adventures of Elle Coco 