Receiving the New Year in Ecuador

I'm from Ecuador, South America. In there it is tradition to celebrate new year in the following way. Several days before New Year's Eve people start buying this paper dolls that usually have the face of the most seen or talked about characters during the whole year. For example politicians, sports players, actors, singers etc. People choose the one they want to buy and they exhibit it outside their homes some days before. You could also buy paper dolls with random faces because the real point of doing it is burning the paper dolls on New Year as a symbol of burning everything that happened in the year and letting the new things come.

So as I said on New Year's Eve, at around 11:30 p.m all the family (usually cousins, aunts, and uncles too) is gathered together outside the house and getting ready to burn th

e paper dolls. As I have a big family there was a pile of around 15 paper dolls (human size). When it is almost midnight all the men turn the fire on and start throwing even explosives into the paper dolls. I must say it is a little dangerous but I guess no one cares at the moment. We start saying happy new year in the middle of noi

se and explosion. After about 45 minutes to an hour the explosion goes off.

Then we proceed to eat dinner at 1:00 am in the back yard with the entire family, which is like 40 people. It takes us one hour to eat and finally around 2:30 am the D.J turns on the music and the party begins. It is an awesome party with a lot of dancing and also drinking. Just so you get an idea we stay awake until the next morning, 12 pm. My New Year celebration for 2010 wasn't the exception. We did all of that and I personally went to bed at 11 am. The party kept on going. You would have to see it and live it by yourself to get the real picture and see how awesome and fun it is. Personally this event is very important for me because it's the only time in the year when we all get together and bond as a family. It makes me think about how important family is and that I am very lucky to have a great family.