Day of the Dead

Yesterday was the Day of the Dead in Guatemala. It is a national holiday to remember those who have passed away. There are several Guatemalan traditions on this day. First, families go the cemetery to decorate the graves of their loved ones with a fresh coat of paint, flowers, little mementos, etc. Second, children make large and elaborate kites to fly in the cemetery. I think that this has something to do with representing the spirits of the deceased. Finally, families gather together to eat a meal of fiambre (pictured below). This meal is only served on November 1st. It is a dish that seems to be a mixture of everything -- all kinds of vegetables, sardines, cow tongue, several kinds of sausage, ham, fish, etc. Everything is soaked in vinegar and then served cold. I had a few bites... interesting, not too bad, but I certainly didn't ask for seconds!

Daniel and I were curious about the activities at the cemetery so we went to the main cemetery in Antigua around 10 am. We were amazed by how many people were there. It was a strange scene because outside the front gate, vendors had set up booths and were selling things like flowers, food, bubbles, kites, toys, and ice cream. There was loud funeral music playing in the streets but it seemed to be a happy atmosphere within the cemetery as families worked together to decorate the graves.

The more wealthy members of the community have very large, elaborate graves (mausoleums) where all of the family members are buried together. Poorer members of the community are buried in a wall. No one is buried in the ground. I was discussing this with my teacher today and he shivered at the thought of being placed in the ground. He thought that was so strange.


Flowers decorating the graves in the wall. The wall on the right is only for children.

One of the many elaborate mausoleums.