Zozobra burns aways troubles Thursday | News

Thousands gathered in Santa Fe Thursday for the Burning of Zozobra even though wind delayed Old Man Gloom's demise by more than an hour.

This year, the 50-foot tall marionette is blonde. The yellow hair is to represent the yellow in New Mexico's state flag. The Zozobra weighs about 1,600 pounds. He has no teeth, no guts, and not a leg to stand on.

As per tradition, before the burning, people are invited to write down their troubles and submit them to be burned along with Zozobra.

The figure is stuffed with paper: tax documents, divorce papers, speeding tickets.

When it burns, it symbolizes burning their worries and problems away.

"There's different emotions with the amount of sound, the amount of brightness, the different colors that we can actually get the crowd to go along." Chief Pyrotechnician Raymond G. Sandoval said. "We hope to take them on an emotional roller coaster as well as enjoy the show,"

The fire was delayed over an hour because of the high winds. But once the show got underway, everything went smoothly. Organizers say the extra money raised tonight will go to fund programs that help kids. They also say in about a month, it will be time to start organizing the Burning of Zozobra 2013.

The annual Burning of Zozobra kicks off the Fiestas De Santa Fe, which has been celebrated since 1712.

In 1924, artist Wil Shuster added the 50-foot bogeyman to the celebration.

Click here to watch Old Man Gloom burn live.

Learn more about the history of Zozobra.