The cultural significance of burning effigies

America's Burning Man Festival is an annual gathering that celebrates social spaces and connectedness as counterpoints to commercialisation. In other countries, festivals around burning of effigies are held for different but equally compelling reasons

The Burning Man Festival, a globally recognised cultural event centred around the burning of effigies, concluded in Nevada, US, this week with approximately 70,000 participants. Held between Aug 24 and Sep 1, the festival took place in a challenging desert environment, where harsh sandstorms tested the resilience of attendees.


Despite the inhospitable conditions, artists from around the world showcased their installations, many of which are redesigned annually to maintain the event’s dynamic creative expression. The festival operates under the framework of the 10 Principles of Burning Man, including Decommodification and Radical Self-expression .


Decommodification emphasises the importance of creating social environments free from commercial sponsorships, transactions, and advertising. The project statement reads, “In order to preserve the spirit of gifting, our community seeks to create social environments that are unmediated by commercial sponsorships, transactions, or advertising. We stand ready to protect our culture from such exploitation. We resist the substitution of consumption for participatory experience.”

Radical Self-expression ensures that only individuals or collaborating groups determine the content of their contributions, which are offered as gifts to others. The principle states, “No one other than the individual or a collaborating group can determine its content. It is offered as a gift to others. In this spirit, the giver should respect the rights and liberties of the recipient.”



As one Burner, Arash Afshar, has substacked, “Burning Man is a liminal space. The value of this space is to take a break from what we’re creating in the Default World and let our imaginations and connections go nuts.”


The concept of effigy burning resonates with various cultures. For Indians, it evokes the celebration of Dussehra, where large effigies of Ravan are burnt to mark the victory of good over evil. In the UK, Guy Fawkes Night involves the burning of effigies to commemorate the failed Gunpowder Plot of 1605. Similarly, in Ecuador, life-sized dolls of celebrities or politicians are burnt on New Year Eve to symbolise the farewell to past hardships and bad luck.