Guatemalans fly giant kites to honour the Day of the Dead [View all]

[Judi Lynn]

Duration: 01:11 10 hrs ago

- video at link -

https://www.msn.com/en-us/video/news/guatemalans-fly-giant-kites-to-honour-the-day-of-the-dead/vi-BB1aDd0E

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Giant Kites Sumpango & Santiago Sacatepequez Guatemala
Posted on Oct 15, 2018 by guatemala culture, guatemala arts
Spanish School Antigua Guatemala Blog

On November 1st of each year, on All Saints' Day in Guatemala, the well-known tradition of the Giant Kite Festival is celebrated. This colorful tradition admired by locals and tourists alike, takes place in Sumpango and Santiago Sacatepequez, Guatemala.

Thousands of visitors arrive at the General Cemetery of the Municipality of Santiago Sacatepequez in November 1, where artistic and very creative works of artisans are exhibited. The Giant Kites (Barriletes Gigantes) are a sight to be seen. This cultural tradition of Guatemala is not only an artistic exhibition through the manufacture of kites, but it is also an ancient way to maintain the connection with the ancestors.

Historically, based on the philosophy of the Kaqchikel indigenous race, kites represent a union between the underworld and the world of the living. It is the link between those who have departed, the saints and the living.
Legend tells that each November 1st, the Giant Kites must be well prepared to receive the spirits of the ancestors, because if they do not find a good reception, they will bother and punish the living damaging the harvests. It is tradition that in each house of the village, a flower known as 'Flor del Muerto' is placed on the frames of the doors and windows, this serves to guide the ancestral spirits.

More:
https://www.spanishacademyantiguena.com/blog/2018









More photos:
https://tinyurl.com/y6dglx2e

GIANT KITE FESTIVAL in GUATEMALA: Festival de Barriletes Gigantes de Sumpango
Sacatepequez Guatemala

Giant Kites Festival, Day of the Dead | Sumpango, Guatemala 2018
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All Saint's Day Giant Kite Festival in Sumpango

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