Worry Dolls AKA Trouble Dolls

Worry dolls, (in Spanish: Muñecas quitapenas, "Dolls [that] remove worries") sometimes referred to as touble dolls, are a traditional Guatemalan toys that are small, colorful little people that a person places under their pillow after telling them something that is bothering them, and then goes to bed. Over night, the worry dolls are said to worry in the person's place, letting them sleep peacefully. They are used in some hospitals to help with the treatment of children to help ease their minds. Children really respond to the dolls and believe in their supernatural abilities to help make your troubles go away. You can also use them to make wishes. Worry dolls are actually really cute, being tiny handmade dolls with a unique South American style.

When I was a child, my parents bought me a box of worry dolls while we were on vacation. I remember them fondly as I was afraid of going to sleep in a strange, exotic place, and the worry dolls really did help ease my mind and let me go to sleep. Amazingly enough, when I woke up, the worry doll that I had placed under my pillow was nowhere to be found, and I just knew that the dolls held a magic power to come to life and literally take my worries away. Nothing else explains it!

Worry dolls are a very popular item for tourists on vacation. They can also be purchased online through many retailers, or made at home (instructions for making your own worry dolls can be found online). Worry dolls are great items for children and adults alike and are a very interesting element of Guatemalan culture.