I arrive in Guatemala on The Day of the Dead, 1st. I’m curious about this holiday, so I go the cemetery to see what’s happening. What I find quite interesting.
The atmosphere is like a party. There are people everywhere. Families sitting around the graves of their dead ancestors. They the graves and add fresh flowers. I walk through cemetery and admire the beauty of all the colorful flowers.
There is also color in sky, because many kids are flying kites. Some families are having a picnic next to graves. They eat, drink, and chat together. People laugh and smile.
In the States, cemeteries are always somber. We certainly never have festivals parties next to graves. We don’t laugh or play or fly kites in cemeteries either.
I find that prefer the Guatemalan approach. I like the way they remember and celebrate those who have passed away. I that they acknowledge death, instead of denying it the way Americans do. I like that there is life, well as death, in their cemeteries.
Guatemalans call “The Day of the Dead”, but it is also day to appreciate life.