On the Day of the Dead, the blog is alive!

Iiiiiiiiiit's back! Despite my best intentions, I've been pretty MIA on the blog these past few months. Mea culpa. Guatemala has definitely not been void of stories to share, and I will do my best to catch up here, starting with this weekend.

Halloween kicked it off. With Day of the Dead on Friday, everyone had the day off, so Thursday night's party went all night. Antigua's streets were predictably packed, and music blasted on every block. I dressed as my favorite ball player (Yadi!), showing pride despite the bummer World Series finish the night before (more on that in future posts). Friends got together, creative disguises and hilarity ensued. A classic Halloween success.

The real highlight of the weekend for me, however, came the next day, Day of the Dead. Latin American tradition devotes this day to the remembrance of loved ones who have passed. Typically, families spend the day at the cemetery praying and "sharing meals" with their ancestors. When I learned about this in school, I thought it was a little creepy and... silly. But after seeing it in practice, I can't believe the beauty of the experience. Families dressed in their finest, most colorful attire, graves re-painted brightly and covered in blankets of flowers, sun shining, children scampering around, old men chatting and ladies relaxing under trees, and the occasional apparent moment of silence and reflection from group to group... the whole scene was a celebration. Not dwelling on loss or hoping fruitlessly for a sign from beyond, as I had imagined, but a beautiful display of love and togetherness.

That scene took place at the cemetery in Sumpango, a town about 20 minutes down the highway from Antigua. We went there because, in addition to the cemetery gathering, Sumpango hosts a unique Day of the Dead tradition - kite flying. The kites represent an opportunity to communicate with the dead, and a warding off of bad spirits. Many are a typical size, but the ones that upgrade the event from local tradition to full-blown festival are the massive, multiple-stories-high works of brilliant tissue-paper art that represent months of preparation and meticulous care. The big kites display gorgeously intricate artwork, and messages in appreciation of nature, life, and the people's Mayan heritage. Visible over the hill from the cemetery, and in the skies above, the kites added yet another impressively beautiful feature to the Day of the Dead celebration. I could not imagine a more peaceful image.

For the first time in a long time, this weekend I was able to stop thinking about work and take time to reflect on my (ever-shrinking) time in Guatemala. I am so grateful for the beauty I have witnessed here, in unsolicited kindnesses, in personal growth, in nature, in art. In something as simple as a kite in the wind. I never thought I would find this kind of joy on the Day of the Dead.