Flying kites with the dead

Yesterday was All Saints Day in Guatemala, a national holiday.

My friend Marc and I decided to celebrate our day of IDem independence by watching kites fly... and crash... while sitting on a tomb in the middle of a dusty graveyard.

Perhaps I should explain.

First of all, while Guatemala remains a predominantly Catholic country, the "Saints" commemorated on All Saints Day aren't the Peter, Paul, and Mary of the Bible but rather the Pedro, Pablo y Maria of the village. That is to say, November 1st is a day for remembering and honoring family ancestors. And many of the traditions of "el Día de Todos los Santos" are deeply rooted in indigenous practices, rather than Catholic dogma.

Throughout the country, families visit their local cemetery to clean, decorate, and spend time at the grave sites of relatives who have passed away. But the day is not necessarily a somber or mournful one. On the contrary, it is often a celebration of life. Traditionally, families will bring food to eat, enjoy a graveside picnic, and leave a portion as a gift for the deceased. In some cases, even mariachi bands are hired to sing to the dearly departed!

In a country that has suffered such horrific loss of human life, both by nature's anger and by man's hand, this often joyful coexistence of past and present, death and life... is simply astounding and uplifting.

Speaking of uplifting...

Santiago Sacatepéquez, is a small town about 45 minutes from Guatemala City, with a very special way of celebrating All Saints Day. According to local legend, the souls of the dead are free to roam the earth for 24 hours on this day. Unfortunately the evil spirits are also let loose, and can cause trouble for both the dead and the living, provoking sickness, crop failures and other misfortunes.

Long ago, the residents Santiago decided to consult a spiritual guide about this problem. "If you build kites and lift them into the sky, the sound of the wind blowing against the paper will cause that the bad spirits to move away", advised the guide.

And so one of the world's most fascinating celebrations was born.

Marc and I began the long climb up the only road leading into Santiago's cemetery. The narrow street was positively packed with vendors selling and visitors buying food, candy, gifts, toys, clothes and, of course, paper kites.

When we finally made it to the cemetery we were both stunned by the sight of a 50-foot tall kite...

[To be continued tomorrow.]

Tags: Guatemala, Kites, Saints, Cemetery, Graveyard, Santiago

Posted by elcanche at November 2, 2005 11:20 PM