national

Bidding a symbolic farewell to 2008

A New Year’s tradition is alive and well in the interior of creating images of prominent newsmakers.

la prensa

burning in the new year: Residents in Capira, Chame, and San Carlos commemorate the end of the year by burning symbolic replicas of 2008’s most influential figures; among the highlights, Latin American Idol Margarita Henríquez and Colon-born althlete Irving Saladino.1140974

Motorists driving in Capira, Chame and San Carlos might notice straw and paper mache dolls proppsed up by the side of the road.

It is a long-standing tradition in these communities to create the dolls, called “Judas,” after the Biblical figure, to represent the major figures in the news during the past year.

It is then tradition to burn the symbols in order to bring in the new year with a "clean slate," said Luis Matattatal, who said that, in his youth, he was the neighborhood creator of the infamous symbolic dolls.

He said the figures represent people who somehow have left an imprint on the country or have otherwise generated widespread public opinion.

In the community of Las Uvas, in the district of San Carlos, for instance, is, microphone in hand, the Panamanian Latin American Idol Margarita Henríquez and presidential candidate Ricardo Martinelli.

In Pueblo Nuevo, San Carlos, you can find a symbolic Franz Wever, created by Fabian Pinto, to remind everyone of the infamous newspaper cover story entitled "braguetazo”, the man who made an inappropriate gesture at the airport to express his dismay of some Olympic Games proceedings.

And in Chame, Mingthoy Giro is smiling, silver in hand, surrounded by statues that went missing from the park she oversees. José Torres is the one in his town who designs the character that has been the most controversial of the year, and this year he decided on Giro.

And who could forget Colon-born althlete, Irving Saladino, who was represented for the second year in a row. The difference this year is that his replica now bears the gold medal won in Beijing in the 2008 Olympic Games.

At midnight tonight, friends and family will say goodbye to the characters of 2008, setting them alight at midnight as they welcome in the new year.