You may know it as the Day of the Dead in Mexico. In Guatemala November 1st is called All Saints Day. Families flock to cemeteries to decorate graves and visit their ancestors, but the wonderful surprise about this special day is the kites. Guatemaltecas create colorful kites, tiny and gigantic, artistic or whimsical or with socially conscious themes, and fly them high above the cemeteries to release the spirits in a joyous celebration.
The small town of Santiago Sacatepequez is known for its beautiful kites on this day. Sacatepequez is the name of an area, like a county. Many of the towns with saint names bear the name of the saint then the geographic area: the school where I taught from 2003 through 2006, on the outskirts of Guatemala City, was in Santa Catarina Pinula; the villages surrounding Lake Atitlan all end in Atitlan. During my years there, I visited the kites of Santiago twice.
The town is close to Antigua, less than an hour drive. At the turnoff from the main highway, buses released people who would walk the long winding road to the village. Riding with some friends, we drove in closer to town, found a dirt parking lot in a finca (farm) and walked the remaining mile or so to the cemetery, passing kite and craft vendors, aromatic food stands. One of my friends turned to me with a smile and said “There’s nowhere I’d rather be today than here doing this,” and I had to agree.
At the top of the hill, before the cemetery, festivities were already under way. Music and a loudspeaker drew us to a stage where the lovely reigning Señoritas of the nearby villages sat, surrounded by a backdrop of kites. A banner and a kite announced one hundred five years of this tradition in Santiago Sacatepequez.
A gigantic kite was under construction, with huge bamboo poles supporting a fifteen-meter frame.
We threaded our way through tight crowds at the cemetery entrance to see a panorama of kites, spectators and kite operators, amid vividly painted grave markers and memorial structures covered with fresh flowers.
I wandered the grounds visiting the elaborately designed kites before flight to admire their handiwork. Geometric patterns, religious icons, many topped with flags. Some bore slogans for social justice or political messages:
El hombre y la mujer tienen iquales oportunidades
Man and woman have equal opportunities
Conoscamos nuestra propia historia para luego conocer al resto del mundo
We must know our history in order to understand the rest of the world
Estamos heridos pero no de muerte
We are wounded, but not dead
Young and old men carried kites to high places in preparation for lifting them into the air, some standing on tall grave monuments, working ropes tied with rags trailing behind. Strolling through the cemetery was like crossing an obstacle course; I stepped with care to avoid taut ropes and running men who leaped over and tromped on burial mounds. Kites fluttered like so many exotic birds, their brilliant plumage looping and twisting above. Ancestral spirits, feeling light and appreciative, were surely soaring into the blue sky, floating upwards. Along one side stood several huge kites on display. Poles were used in the center for leverage to raise the big kites. It was quite a spectacle to see one go up!
Not long after noon a brisk wind swept through the cemetery giving a welcome lift to many of the airborne kites, but wreaking havoc with the gigantic kites. A collective sigh could be heard as the tall fragile structures sagged and left only the boney skeletons standing. This fleeting art form, as elaborate and labor intensive as the carpets of Semana Santa in Antigua that are crushed underfoot each day, was ripped and blown so soon after its creation. Soon after their demise we headed out, caught in a slow-moving claustrophobic crush of people in the streets.
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Ruth Rosenfeld 
Lovely images Ruth.
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Thanks so much, Narayan.
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This gives a whole new meaning to the word Kites! Beautiful.
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Thanks, Carol! It was so unusual, but a common yearly celebration for them.
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Beautiful! I had no idea that kites were a tradition in Guatemala. Lots of kites to be had…glad you enjoyed it!
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Thank you, Rebecca. And the wonder of it all is that they are created for one day and expected not to last.
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The colourful kites that represent the union of the underworld of the deceased and the land of the living are so beautiful.
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Thanks for your insightful comment.
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Hello, Ruth. I’ve never seen kites like this before. They are fantastic. They are works of art.
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They truly are works of art, yet ephemeral, expect to only last a day.
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Never seen kites like these ones ! Thanks for sharing.
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Thanks for your visit and comment!
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How fabulous. It’s wonderful to be privileged enough to experience first hand the traditions of others, and let’s face it there are some countries and cultures that just know how to have a fiesta. It’s such a great experience when you find yourself whipped up in a carnival such as this.
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Thanks for your visit and comment. You have been fortunate to experience many other cultures as well. And yes, it’s great to be a part of it all!
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I love their positive attitudes towards cemeteries expressed in such a joyful manner. It would be great if more cultures had this attitude.
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It was a positive, joyful celebration. So unusual in other cultures. Glad to have been able to experience it.
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What a wonderful custom this is. It seems to celebrate life as much as it honours the dead.
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It did truly feel like a celebration. A way to connect to their ancestors with art and joy.
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Oh so exciting. I love cultural festivals like this, and Central and South America has so many. I’m with your friend – there’s nowhere I’d rather be. Your photos really captured it.
Alison
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Thank you, Alison! Greetings to another cultural festival-lover.
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I’ve never seen kites like this. What a privilege to be there on that day!
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Although at first I felt like an outside observer, I got caught up in the joy and excitement of the festival. Thanks for reading!
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One of the best opportunities that travel allows us is experiencing other cultures, particularly through the lens of local customs and traditions. I believe that in Spain they also mark All Saints Day, and it is a solemn, quiet affair. In China, they celebrate Tomb Sweeping Day which is all about families visiting graves of their deceased members, and keeping them tidy. In Guatemala, the joy of life and memory of the dead seem to be inextricably linked. Beautiful colours of kites and outfits, smiling faces, and the busy and heady vibe of a fiesta. I have enjoyed reading your wonderful article about kites. You have captured the atmosphere well with your photos and words.
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You have described it well. Tomb Sweeping sounds pretty somber as well. Thanks for your visit and informative comment. Enjoy your scary movie!
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I had no idea that kites were so huge on All Saints Day. I love how each kite is so colourful and unique. What a lovely display of pictures to help us imagine what the celebration is like.
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The kites were quite amazing, the artistry and construction. Thank you.
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Oh wow, I had no idea – these kites are absolutely beautiful. I love this celebration and honouring of the ancestors, I wish we were better at living alongside death in our culture. It must have been very special to be a part of the celebrations 🙂
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It was amazing to be there and experience the creativity and joy among the graves. I agree, I think the current trend (in the US anyway) for remembrances and the Irish tradition of wakes are the closest to a celebration of life in our culture.
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The larger kites look like they could’ve lifted a person or two; they’re more delicate than they appear. Our own balloon festivals come to mind but lacking in any ceremony or symbolism. I expect the destruction of the kites by the burst of wind was not as upsetting as I might think, since the intention of the day is to honor the dead no matter how.
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The kites are not expected to last more than a day. Their ephemeral nature (unlike the balloons) makes it more amazing, yet they are so detailed and beautiful.
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What a colourful celebration and a fantastic way to celebrate rather than mourn. You were so lucky to see this. Thanks for translating some of the messages. We’re in Brazil now and had hoped they’d do something special here, but it’s only celebrated as a private family ceremony. Maggie
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Perhaps they save all their festival energy for Mardi Gras! Enjoy your South American journey. Loved your Bolivia posts.
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These images are so beautiful and joyful!
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Thanks so much, Luisa! Few cultures would celebrate their ancestors in this way — joy in the cemetery.
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That’s a wonderful way to celebrate🪁🪁🪁
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Such a colourful spectacle! Not just the kites, but the flowers and the locals in their clothes. It looks like a real mission to get the huge kites ready … and then the wind that only left the skeletons behind … shame, were they suppose to sent them high up in the air?
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They weren’t meant to fly, just to stand up and look amazing, which they did for half the day. It’s a given that they are ephemeral and will not last.
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Oh ok, now I don’t feel so bad for them 🙂.
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