Cemetery becomes a patchwork of kites on Day of the Dead in Guatemala

The Star

A colourful patchwork covered a Guatemalan cemetery on Saturday (Nov 1) as families raised giant kites to observe the Day of the Dead tradition.   WATCH MORE: https://thestartv.com/c/news SUBSCRIBE: https://cutt.ly/TheStar LIKE: https://fb.com/TheStarOnline

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00:00A colorful patchwork covered a Guatemalan cemetery on Saturday as families raised giant kites to observe the Day of the Dead tradition.

00:11The ancestral tradition takes place in the southern department of Sacatepeques,

00:15where handcrafted kites are raised in cemeteries to connect with loved ones who have passed.

00:21After months of preparation, families honor their ancestors, ward off negative spirits,

00:27and promote renewal with these bamboo structures.

00:31We come to remember the families, perhaps our father, mother, our children, our grandparents, and our children who are already here.

00:43We have to remember every year, every year we come to adorn.

00:49This garilete is a tradition to represent the loved ones.

00:57That's why we have these beautiful gariletes, which we work day by day, for long months of work, day and night.

01:06The tradition dates back to the late 19th century, when families from Sacatepeques and Zumpango

01:12started to fly bamboo kites to chase away bad spirits and guide their deceased to eternal rest.

01:19UNESCO inscribed the tradition in 2024 on the representative list of the intangible cultural heritage of humanity.

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