Cancún’s Old Year Burning Tradition Welcomes 2026

Cancún, Quintana Roo — In the heart of Cancún, the custom of burning the Old Year remains more alive than ever, even without the bang of traditional firecrackers, as families prefer to preserve this symbolic practice to bid farewell to negativity and welcome 2026 with optimism.

Market 23 has become the main point where residents from various neighborhoods come to purchase already-made dolls, with prices starting from 200 pesos for the simplest ones and exceeding 400 pesos for those with greater detail and production.

Vendors explain that, for safety measures, the dolls are offered without firecrackers, leaving it to each family’s discretion whether to add explosives or simply fill them with paper for a calmer burning.

Other families opt for the more traditional and economical version: making the doll from scratch using old clothes, newspaper, cardboard, and recycled materials, emphasizing that what matters is not the spectacle, but the meaning of closing cycles and renewing hopes.

This persistence of the tradition reflects the cultural roots of Cancún residents, who year after year keep the burning of the Old Year alive as a ritual of purification and good omens for the new cycle that begins.