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The first time Caity Weaver, a staff writer at The New York Times Magazine, heard about the legend of Zozobra, she stumbled upon it almost by accident. Back in 2018, Weaver and her now-husband happened to be visiting Santa Fe, New Mexico, on the sole night of the year when one of the country’s most unique celebrations was taking place.

In her latest piece, Weaver delves into the broader idea of Zozobra, a gigantic effigy made of wood and wire and cloth burned down as part of a festival. The piece begs one evergreen question: Could this quirky annual rite be Santa Fe’s unexpected “secret to happiness”?

Read Caity’s piece : One City’s Secret to Happiness: The Annual Burning of a 50-Foot Effigy

This episode of The Sunday Long Read Podcast was hosted by Amanda Ulrich and produced by Matthew Whitehurst. The Sunday Long Read Podcast is executive produced by Étienne Lajoie.

Behind The Story : Caity Weaver