Explain who or what " Año Viejo" is and its significance. Write your answer in English. Note: Use some of the information from the lesson to answer the question.
Lesson: Tradiciones de HondurasHonduras has many traditions, some of them quite unique. One, which has died out, was the story-telling tradition called fogaratas. People would sit around telling stories about all sorts of ghosts. One of them is a dog called El Cadejo, which you may remember from other folk tales and stories. (Actually, there are two—a white one and a black one.) Cadejo has its paws put on backwards so that no one can follow its tracks. New Year's Eve festivities are especially lively. A large figure of a man is made of rags and stuffed with old newspaper. This figure, called the Año Viejo (Old Year) is set on fire at midnight, symbolizing the death of the old year. Have you ever seen a carpet made of sawdust? During the Holy Week festivities, several towns in the country turn out to make these pieces of artwork. In the capital, Tegucigalpa, one of the main avenues in the city is covered with sawdust carpets, to greet the religious processions on their way to the cathedral. How are the carpets made? The work begins three months earlier. Sawdust in huge quantities is sifted and dyed in various bright colors. Designs are drawn up, including figures of saints, flowers, and ornamental shapes. Then, the sawdust is carefully sprinkled in one or more layers on the street. The result is a number of impressive, colorful carpets spread down the long avenue. Once the festival is over, the sawdust is removed from the street and burned or deposited in a nearby river. This practice has raised environmental concerns, prompting some groups to use biodegradable flower petals or woven grass mats instead of sawdust. Church of Suyapa at Tegucigalpa, Honduras El Guancasco (the Lenca indigenous word for peace pact) is an ancient indigenous tradition, derived from the Lenca indigenous people. It is a sort of reenactment of the meeting of two neighboring native groups of people. Representatives of one group or town go to another, where they are met with a great show of hospitality and festivities. The idea is to confirm their wish to continue living together in peace and friendship.