Guatemala City: Burning of the devil is a religious festival in Guatemala which usually takes place on December 7th.
All over the country, the Guatemalans take everything burnable, such as waste paper, old household items, etc., outside of their houses and set it afire
Days before the festival, residents will be collecting unwanted items and rubbish materials from their homes that have been gathered over the year for burning.
The streets will be lining up with heaps of waste materials intended to be ignited.
The energy is almost tactile by children running around with firecrackers.
Giant structures resembling devils are also being constructed to fortify the theme of this unusual festival.
This is to cleanse their households for the holy weeks to come during Christmas.
The burning of the devil festival also represents a spiritual cleansing by keeping away all negative energies from the past and getting ready to start afresh.
This is a kind of ritual which coincides with the festival of immaculate conception and an informal start to the impending Christmas season.

Video on the burning of the Devil Festivals in Guatemala