Burning of Devil means to blaze all of the bad!

GUATEMALA CITY: Across the country on December 7, Guatemalans burn The Devil. The week prior market stalls fill with papier–mâché devils for families who want to personally show the devil his due. The tradition of burning the devil began in colonial times. In anticipation of the feast of the Immaculate Conception, the patron of Guatemala City, those who could afford it adorned the fronts of their houses with lanterns. Eventually, the poor who could not afford such lanterns began gathering their garbage and would burn all of the year's rubbish in front of their houses. Over time it was formalized and in addition to individual piles of garbage. The idea is to burn all of the bad from the previous year and to start anew from the ashes. In cities throughout the country The Devil is burned at the stroke of six. In Ciudad Vieja, the first former capital of the country, a devil three stories tall is constructed and burned in the city square. Other Latin American countries share similar traditions.