The Kites of Guatemala a Connection to the Hereafter

The Kites of Guatemala

During the last days of October strong winds start to blow in Guatemala, and that can only mean two things, one, it is the end of the rainy season, and two, it is time to fly kites. Kids are officially out of school, and they run to buy colorful kites from vendors in neighborhood shops, at the markets and town […]

Read more

The Magnificent and Fragile Giant Kites of Sumpango

Kites of November Written by. Louise Wisechild On Nov. 1, visitors travel to Sumpango and Santiago, Sacatépequez, to stand in awe of los barilletes gigantes, the giant kites made specifically for the Day of the Dead in these two Kaqchikel Mayan villages. As large as 20 meters, the size of a six-story building, the kites are decorated in figures, landscapes […]

Read more

Messengers in the Wind

Written by Ignacio Ochoa The history of kite making in Santiago Sacatepéquez On November 1 and 2, a powerful force stirs in all the towns of Guatemala. Traditional markets are filled with flowers of sempa (orange marigolds), chrysanthemums, wild daisies and the smell of copal—a pre-Columbian incense made from pine resin. People clean family graves and adorn them with cut-out […]

Read more

Messengers in the Wind

Written by Ignacio Ochoa The history of kite making in Santiago Sacatepéquez On November 1 and 2, a powerful force stirs in all the towns of Guatemala. Traditional markets are filled with flowers of sempa (orange marigolds), chrysanthemums, wild daisies and the smell of copal—a pre-Columbian incense made from pine resin. People clean family graves and adorn them with cut-out […]

Read more