The Central American Towns That Celebrate Day Of The Dead With A Unique Kite Festival

The Day of the Dead, or Día de los Muertos, conjures up images of decadent altars, grinning calaveras (skulls), bouquets of vibrant marigolds, and colorful, traditional costumes. Parades and music honor the joyous return of departed souls to Earth, and the most famous celebration is in the Mexican state of Oaxaca (whose epic Day of the Dead traditions rival those of Mardi Gras in New Orleans). While Mexico features wonderful Day of the Dead festivities, the Guatemalan towns of Santiago Sacatepéquez and Sumpango boast a spectacular tradition featuring giant multicolored kites.

The awe-inspiring Giant Kite Festival is hosted in the Guatemalan state of Sacatepéquez, located between Guatemala City and Lake Atitlan — the world's most beautiful lake. There are two main kite festivals: one in the town of Santiago Sacatepéquez and the other larger and more famous celebration in Sumpango. The festivals take place every year on November 1st, incorporating elements from the Mayan Day of the Dead tradition. Once used as beacons to direct souls returning to Earth, these enormous kites now carry social and political messages to inspire the living.

The barriletes gigantes, or "giant kites," date back to ancient Mayan rituals before the European conquest of the Americas. Their construction traditionally took 40 days, using natural materials like bamboo for the frame and a slurry of yucca flower, lemon peel, and water for glue. Today, participants begin building their kites months in advance, designing them with colorful tissue paper to depict Indigenous symbols or messages addressing human rights issues. Most striking is the sheer size of the kites, which can span up to 60 feet in diameter when unveiled on the day of the celebration.

During the festival, the giant kites are paraded through the cemeteries of the towns, either airborne or carried by a team. Children fly smaller kites on the sidelines. The festival is a joyous celebration, bathed in color and music, showcasing craftsmanship and cultural heritage. The smell of copal (an incense made from pine resin) wafts on the breeze during this magnificent procession, while the sound of fluttering paper wards off evil spirits. Make sure to arrive early at the cemeteries on November 1st, as thousands of people turn out to celebrate. 

During the festivities, treat your tastebuds to fiambre. This traditional Guatemalan salad is a rainbow of colors and flavors, served specifically for the Day of the Dead. Prepared with dozens of ingredients from hardboiled eggs and sausages to pickles and red beets, fiambre is just as colorful as the giant kites adorning the sky. Following the festival, check out Antigua, Guatemala, one of Central America's most stunning destinations, which is about a 30-minute drive from Santiago Sacatepéquez or Sumpango.