Day of the Dead - Sumpango Festival

November 1, 2012

All saints day (Day of the Dead) is a national Holiday for Guatemala.  They don't celebrate Halloween but their celebration comes the day after, where the families gather at cemeteries to clean up, paint the sepulchres, bring flowers, fly kites and items that were dear to their loved ones.  

Festival de Sumpango - is famous for its giant kites.

Pathway leading to the festival is filled with food, kite and other vendors

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Hillside overlooking the festival.

Kite frames are made of bamboo and kites made of tissue paper.  Some kite patterns are handed down from generation to generation; some hold a political message.  They do have contests to see how long the medium to smaller kites can last in the air.   

Kite frames are bamboo. 

Our DEA friends - Matt Sandberg family & Trey Outlaw family.

Loved the majestic volcano in the background.

Our neighbors/friends  - Trey, Jessica & Jillyan Outlaw.

Picture perfect...

Hundreds of food vendors lined the streets along with hundreds of people.

Tortillas being mass produced for the festival.

 Families filled the cemetery honoring their loved ones.

In the new part, mounds were not encased but were freshly painted, beautiful display of flowers adorning the grave.

Paying tribute to a loved one.  The story is told that if  families do not pay tribute to their loved ones within 48 hours, they believe they will suffer poor health,  harvests will not be plentiful, and other consequences.  No wonder so many take this holiday seriously.

The kite symbolically carries messages to the heavens.  

Hundreds of people line the streets of Sumpango - this day is very important to Guatemalans.

Chicharoon (pork rines) anyone?????  They tasted pretty good - lots of grease.

Chewy, sticky corn  - HOT ITEM!

Couldn't go home without my own kite.  

Families lined the hillside enjoying the day and flying kites.

It's amazing how these women throughout Guatemala pat & pat dough all day to sell tortillas.

Diet Coke - bribery for the Elders so they would stop at the Apple Factory in Antiqua on our way home.

Fiambre - traditional dish served only on All Saints Day.  Interesting combination of  a variety of marinated veggies of all kinds, and meats (and mystery meats).  Sister Call and Sister Johnson ended the day with Fiambre - tasted the cuisine - no need to taste it again.  Wonderful day mingling with the locals and becoming acquainted with their traditions and culture.