As September rolls around, mysterious receptacles marked “gloom boxes” with an infamous scowling face, next to flyers reading “BURN ZOZOBRA” appear throughout New Mexico. These aren’t ads for a new horror flick– they’re part of a tradition with more than a century of memories attached.
At Sadie’s of New Mexico, we’re committed to upholding local traditions. From our original green chile cheeseburger bringing you back to 1954, to the blue corn tortillas available with every dish, we love anything uniquely New Mexican.
Created, founded, and held yearly in Santa Fe, the story of the annual ‘Burn Zozobra’ festival includes deep ties to NM history and culture.
What (or Who?) is Zozobra?
“Zozobra”, a Spanish word translating directly to ‘anxiety’, became synonymous with a 50-foot marionette also known as “Old Man Gloom”, a large scowling marionette. Zozobra is constructed out of cotton fabric, wooden beams, and stuffed with papers filled with worries, anxieties and burdens. Attendees can submit their worries to one of the “gloom boxes”, over the festival website, or can bring handwritten worries on paper to the festival.
The burning of Zozobra, held in Fort Marcy Park, Santa Fe, gathers 50,000 attendees every Labor day weekend. On the day of the festival, attendees gather around the growling, arm-waving Old Man Gloom. The crowd gathers its positive energy to summon the Fire Spirit, who dances with the torches it uses to set Zozobra ablaze. Fireworks, food, and festivities follow as the marionette goes up in smoke, allowing the attendees to move into autumn unburdened by worry or anxiety.
This spectacle of artistry, pyrotechnics, and symbolic unity keeps its function local. The first fire spirit was brought to life by Jacques Cartier, a ballet dancer and instructor in Santa Fe. Today, the fire spirit is played by Helene Luna, another ballet dancer, who will soon pass the torch to Than Povi Martinez, a lifelong New Mexican and 2026 Miss Indian New Mexico winner.
Rooted in NM History
‘Zozobra’ was created by Will Shuster, a Santa Fe painter who lived in New Mexico for nearly 50 years, leaving behind a legacy of art, joy, and a spirit of celebration. Originally from Philadelphia, Shuster moved to Santa Fe after contracting tuberculosis as a result of his service in World War 1. Like many tuberculosis patients, Shuster was prescribed the “climate therapy” that sunny, dry, unpolluted New Mexico provided. This medical advice wasn’t rare–Shuster was part of a migration by thousands of “Health Seekers”, which brought significant advancements to the economic, medical, and population landscape of NM, accelerating our journey to statehood.
Shuster was previously an electrical engineer, but honed his artistic abilities under the tutelage of John Sloan, a local painter who found endless inspiration in the New Mexican people and environment. Shuster connected with other local painters to form a group called ‘Los Cinco Pintores’ (or ‘the five painters’), who centered the natural landscapes of NM and Native communities in their art. Los Cinco Pintores increased recognition not just of NM’s natural beauty, but also of the artistic merit of Native people’s pottery, illustrations, and paintings.
Shuster’s engagement with NM and the larger southwest served as the primary inspiration for the construction of the Zozobra marionette. Shuster observed a Yaqui community Good Friday celebration, in which a strawman Judas was burned in effigy. Shuster based the burning of Zozobra on this tradition, seeking to create a character with which to symbolically burn away the worries and anxiety gathered throughout the year. Shuster decided that fall, a traditionally recognized season of rebirth, was the perfect setting.
The First Festival
The first burning of Zozobra took place in 1924, during a gathering in Shuster’s backyard with a 6-foot-tall marionette. After witnessing the joyous reception it garnered, Shuster began the process of making it a public spectacle. In 1926, a crowd dressed in black robes carried a 20-foot tall effigy of Zozobra through the streets of Santa Fe. The city attorney read Zozobra’s sentence, and Old Man Gloom was burned in a lot behind Santa Fe City Hall.
Since 1924, the festival has grown to match the love it receives from attendees, NM natives or tourists. With the effigy now standing 50 feet tall, celebrations include fireworks, food trucks, and a hot air balloon set to fly in the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta.
Celebrate New Mexican Traditions with Sadie’s
The burning of Zozobra is rooted in the traditions and history that shaped New Mexico into the state we love today. With its connections to the legacy of local artists, the economic and social development of NM in the early 20th century, and its unique blend of Mexican, New Mexican, and American history, Zozobra represents everything our community loves. For more information on the history of Zozobra, the festival, or to watch Zozobra burn from home, visit the official site: https://burnzozobra.com/
At Sadie’s of New Mexico, we take pride in upholding traditions that bring our community together. For over 70 years, we’ve helped host annual get-togethers, provided meals for local teams or family celebrations, and served ice-cold margaritas to get a good conversation going. We’re happy to be here for all of your celebrations, big or small. Bring your community, leave your worries at the door (or with Old Man Gloom!), and celebrate, with Sadie’s of New Mexico.
Photo Credit: Bryce Risley Photography