Soaring through the air on November 1st and 2nd, kites of all colors and sizes can be found across the Guatemalan skies. Dia de Todos Santos (All Saints Day) is completely different than anything I’ve ever seen in the United States and it is because of this rich cultural tradition that I was reminded of Guatemala’s beauty and my love for this country.
The story behind the kites is based upon the very essence of All Saints Day: remembering and honoring the deceased. Every year on this date, families join together at the cemetery to place flowers, food, drinks, liquor, pictures, etc on the tombs of family members who have passed. Cemeteries are suddenly bursting with life. Food vendors, music and people gather all day (and sometimes night) to celebrate this day. What struck me as fascinating is that instead of seeing people drowned in sadness and covered in tears, people are rejoicing with the pleasures of life. I’m sure that is easy to say from an outsider’s perspective, and of course there are definitely the men who take shot (after shot after shot) in order to remember the dead, but it seems as though this holiday is more like Thanksgiving in the cemetery. As for the kites, they serve as a way to communicate to the deceased up in heaven.
Sumpango is known worldwide for its kite festival on November 1st with kites as tall as 20 meters! In retrospect, I should have talked to more people to get details on how long it takes to construct one of these kites but I just soaked up the day in sun and sites.
On the bus ride from Sumpango to a fellow PCV’s site nearby, families and children everywhere were flying their kites. It was incredibly gorgeous and pictures cannot capture the astounding beauty; the sun setting off in the distance with hundreds of kites soaring in the sky. Guatemala is beautiful.
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