Day of the Dead

I arrive in Guatemala on The Day of the Dead, November 1st. I’m curious about this holiday, so I go

to the cemeteryto see what’s happening. What I find is quite interesting. 

The atmosphereis like a party. There are people everywhere. Families are sitting around the

gravesof their dead ancestors. They clean the graves and add fresh flowers. I walk through the

cemetery and admire the beauty of all the colorful flowers. 

There is also color in the sky, because many kids are flying kites. Some families are having a picnic

next to the graves. They eat, drink, and chat together. People laugh and smile. 

In the Unites States, cemeteries are always somber. We certainly never have festivals or parties

next to graves. We don’t laugh or play music or fly kites in cemeteries either. 

I find that I prefer the Guatemalan approach. I like the way they remember and celebrate those

who havepassed away. I like that they acknowledge death, instead of denying it the way

Americans do. I like that there is life, as well as death, in their cemeteries. 

Guatemalans call it “The Day of the Dead”, but it is also a day to appreciate life.