The US version of one of the world's most famous festival franchises - Burning Man - kicks off in the Nevada desert this week.
But in the Wild West town of Santa Fe, New Mexico, another "man" will go up in flames on Friday September 1, in a pantomime that many acknowledge as the precursor to Burning Man.
The historic capital is one of the oldest in the US and its annual Fiesta, a celebration of its history, has been observed since 1712.This presented Zozobra as a bogeyman hiding in the mountains outside Santa Fe, who would be reborn each year from the accumulation of the locals' terrible deeds.
To lure him out of hiding, the city fathers invited Zozobra to the Fiesta. Plotting to ruin the celebrations, he accepted.It calls the figure "a hideous effigy 20 feet high", whose burning " brought out the biggest crowd of native merrymakers seen here for years".
Today the figure, built of wood, wire and shredded paper, weighs around 900kg and is stuffed with old love letters, arrest warrants, traffic fines, divorce papers, and any other item that has brought sorrow to the people of Santa Fe.
All are invited to anonymously submit their items for burning in boxes in the weeks before the event.
The burning itself is thus a deeply cathartic moment, giving all present the chance to reflect on the past year, rid themselves of anxiety, and wipe the slate clean.
There are even tryouts for the coveted roles of the Gloomies and torch-bearing villagers...