More Pictures of Day of the Dead

A family decorating a grave.
A monument stating "in memory of the children who were not born; innocent victims of abortion."
An open grave in the wall.

I couldn't resist taking a picture of these two things. On the right is the morgue. It was a small room with a gap between the doors and a chain lock. Outside was this rolling table which is missing a wheel.

In Guatemala, bodies of the deceased are not embalmed, so a person is usually buried within 24 hours of death. Typically, when a person dies, they are layed out that evening in the family's home. Friends and family members come to grieve the loss and show respect -- at times hundreds of people cram into the person's home and the crowd flows out into the street. There is a service the next day and then the casket is carried by friends or family members to the cemetery. Usually, a band of musicians accompanies the funeral procession.