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WHO THE HECK IS ZOZOBRA AND WHAT'S MY ZOZO VIBE?

1. Learn about Santa Fe's nearly 100-year-old Burning Man, Zozobra!
2. Discover which version of Zozobra you vibe with most!
3. Enter to win tix to celebrate his 100th on August 30, 2024.

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100-YEAR-OLD ORIGIN OF THE BURNING OF ZOZOBRA

In 1924, Santa Fe artist William Howard Shuster, Jr. burned his 6-foot creation of the first Zozobra at a private party. He was inspired by the Yaqui Indians' Easter Holy Week tradition of setting aflame an effigy of Judas as a symbol of ridding the world of evil.

In Spanish, Zozobra means anguish, anxiety, or gloom.

Here's a selection from the early years of Zozobra's existence in the fabric of Santa Fe.

Shuster & Friends, 1949
1960
1938
1986
1928
1940

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ZOZOBRA IS ALSO KNOWN AS OLD MAN GLOOM

Over the years, Zozobra has morphed into a towering 50-foot-tall, 3,000-pound marionette, made of wood and wire, and stuffed with bushels of shredded paper and GLOOMS, AKA regrets, painful memories, consequences of bad behavior, including obsolete police reports, and celebrations of albatrosses in your life, such as paid-off mortgages, and even divorce papers.

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1978
1994
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CREATING ZOZOBRA

The importance of Zozobra to the community of Santa Fe cannot be overstated. Led by the local Kiwanis Club, hundreds of volunteers plan, create, and hoist the Old Man of Gloom to his destiny each year so that citizens and visitors may collectively and cathartically purge the trials of life and celebrate the joys.

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WHAT HAPPENS AT THE 100th BURNING OF ZOZOBRA?

The 100th Burning of Zozobra begins at 4pm on the Friday, August 30 with hours of live music, great food, and fun merchandise.

Around dusk, the mood changes: Zozobra fumes to learn he is not the evening’s guest of honor. His gang of gloomies (young locals) are chased away by torch-bearing townfolk (other locals) who set bonfires on the stage. This further angers and animates Zozobra, as does the appearance of his arch-enemy, the Fire Spirit.

The crowd chants "Burn Him!" and this emboldens the Fire Spirit to alight Zozobra, who is visibly and audibly agonized as he erupts in a dazzling fireworks display.

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YOUR ZOZO VIBE IS IN!

But first, enter your email for a chance to win 2 tickets to the 100th Burning of Zozobra, August 30, plus access to the Scoop, our event-filled monthly newsletter!

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