The Giant Kites That Speak to the Dead
On All Saints' Day in Guatemala, villagers fly enormous paper kites over the cemetery. They say the kites carry messages to the dead, and keep evil spirits away.
What was reported
Every 1 November, the towns of Sumpango and Santiago Sacatepéquez in Guatemala hold a festival of giant kites, called barriletes. Teams spend months making circular kites from tissue paper and bamboo, some more than 15 metres across, covered in intricate designs.
The largest are displayed in the cemetery, and smaller ones are flown above the graves. Local tradition says the kites carry messages to the souls of the dead, help guide them, and frighten away bad spirits that might disturb them.
Explanations offered
The custom blends Maya and Catholic traditions around the Day of the Dead. Today the kites also carry messages about Guatemala's history, culture and society. It's a joyful and moving festival rather than a fearful one.
- When
- Every 1 November
- Where
- Sumpango, Sacatepéquez, Guatemala
- Witnesses
- The people of Sumpango
- Status
- Folk custom
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.
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