KooKooee !!

One of the things we love about New Mexico is the inherent strangeness of this place.  I am not talking the strangeness-for-strangeness-sake like in most places (like Keep Austin Weird or the Frozen Dead Guy Daze for example), but the inherent otherworldliness of this place which is caused by over 300 years of history and multiple cultures combining, mixing, and overlapping.

One of the results of this mixture is a local tradition - the burning of Kookooe.  It is a very old tradition which out grew from the interaction of the Native American traditions and the Spanish settlers here.  The community builds a giant monster (which is different every year) and then it is ritually set it on fire.  But not before the entire community comes and writes all their fears on pieces of paper which then get stuffed in the belly of the beast.  At dusk the entire thing is set of fire and the crowd cheers as their fears all go up in smoke.  Community catharsis at its best.





I love this place!