ARTIST STUDIO PROJECT IN COLLABORATION WITH THE GENERAL CONSUL OF GUATEMALA EN RALEIGH INVITE YOU TO A VIRTUAL EVENT CELEBRATING ALL SAINTS’ DAY [THE DAY OF THE DEAD]:
GUATEMALAN CELEBRATION – 1st Annual – Barriletes
Two Great Festivals to honor those that have passed on.
One in Sumpango Sacatepéquez and the other at the graveyard at Santiago Sacatepéquez.
Saturday, November 7th, 2020 – 3 p.m. EST
Special message from Cónsul General Jorge Archila and Vicecónsul Cristina España of the Consulado General de Guatemala in Raleigh, North Carolina.
Join us as we take a closer look at this amazing cultural tradition, learn a little more about the stories behind this special day with 2 very special guests that will talk about these 2 great festivals.
Filmmaker and Photo Journalist Jose Santizo AKA: Chapin Viajero (Sumpango Sacatepéquez) and
Visual Storyteller, Eclectic Photographer: Rolando Estrada C. (Santiago Sacatepéquez)
November 7th, 2020 – 3 pm EST. – Sumpango Sacatepéquez
Join Miguel Rojas Sotelo and Rafael A. Osuba as we interview Filmmaker and Photo Journalist Jose Santizo AKA: Chapin Viajero. We will learn a bit more about his work and also view his latest short film ¿Cómo se hace un Barrilete Gigante? Sumpango Sacatepéquez [ How do you make a Giant Kite? Sumpango Sacatepéquez]| Chapin Viajero | Cotorros Audaces. [Interview in Spanish with some English Translation]
November 7th, 2020 – 4 pm EST. – Santiago Sacatepéquez
Join us for a very special interview with VISUAL STORYTELLER and ECLECTIC PHOTOGRAPHER: ROLANDO ESTRADA C. Rolando will share some of his works and also talk to us about covering the Day of the Dead Celebrations in Santiago Sacatepéquez –Guatemala. Bio Here
CONSULADO GENERAL DE GUATEMALA EN RALEIGH, CAROLINA DEL NORTE
Dirección: 6050 Six Forks Rd. Raleigh, North Carolina 27609
Teléfonos: 001 (984) 200-1601, (984) 200-2411 Fax: (984) 200-1726
Circunscripción Sección Consular: Estados: Carolina del Norte y Carolina del Sur
Página de Internet: consraleigh.minex.gob.gt
Correo electrónico: consraleigh@minex.gob.gt
ALL SAINTS’ DAY [The Day of the Dead] (known as Día de los Muertos in Spanish) is a holiday celebrated throughout Latin America where people honor their dead ancestors and celebrate the cycle of life. While the meaning of the holiday is the same across countries, it is celebrated differently in different countries.
The tradition of flying kites (called barriletes) on November 1 is a unique aspect of the Guatemalan celebration. This custom reaches its height in the town of Santiago, Sacatepequez, where residents spend months constructing enormous kites, up to several stories high, to fly from the cemetery hillside.
Kites serve as a symbolic connection to the dead and help guide the returning spirits to their families. Once the celebrations have ended, the kites are burned so that the dead may return peacefully until the next year. As in Mexico, Catholics in Guatemala prepare special foods and offerings to honor their loved ones on El Día de los Todos Santos (All Saints’ Day), and then proceed to the cemetery to share the day with the deceased. The native Maya adorn gravesites with pine needles, yellow marigolds (called flor de muerto), candles, liquor, and incense (called copal pom). By early afternoon, the cemetery overflows with families celebrating their loved ones with marimba music, dancing, food, and drink. In the town of San Jose Petén in northern Guatemala, an important tradition is the procession of three sacred skulls (called las santas calaveras). Said to be skulls of native Mayan kings or priests, they are sought out by individuals who ask them for health, a blessing in marriage, or productive crops. Anyone who makes a request accepts the responsibility to receive the skulls at his or her house for the following three years.
Here is the Esperanza Kite Time Laps video.
The 8’ in diameter Esperanza Kite is a messenger of hope: Humanity will survive and our generation will be part of the improvement of this world. This traditional giant Guatemalan kite, which honors All Saints Day on November 1, was created for Family Day of Guatemala by Guatemalan Artist Cristina España and her husband Nathanael Sperger, in partnership with the Consulate of Guatemala and community partners.
Courtesy of the North Carolina Museum of Art.