All Saints' Day, November 1.

All Saints' Day, November 1, honors and celebrates all those loved ones who no longer meet their
families.
In Guatemala it is a tradition that each family prepares unique dishes such as cold and traditional
sweets, among other delicacies.
In addition, families visit cemeteries carrying floral arrangements. That is why cold are one of the
usual meals, because you can eat without Kities.
In some parts of the country it is also used to fly skipjack, since the wind and the characteristic
climate of the end of the year are ideal conditions for this.
Here are some of the most outstanding activities of the November 1 celebration:
The Decoration
As a way to honor the deceased, family members usually go to cemeteries and decorate graves.
Placing flowers is a common activity in the rest of the world, but in Guatemala more elements were
added.

In addition to flowers, people usually paint the pantheons, place candles, plastic arrangements and
make small altars to say some prayers, which evidences the Catholic tradition

There are also those who carry music, such as marimba or mariachis, to sing some songs in honor
to the loved ones who have passed away.

Also, in the Mayan culture it is customary to put a variety of food on the graves with the belief that
the deceased also enjoys it because his spirit is present.
The Cold Cuts
The deli originated from the custom of the ancient Maya who commemorated their deceased by
gathering in family around the grave, eating dishes that were not necessary to heat. It is a mixture
of meats and sausages from Spanish cuisine and vegetables from Guatemala. It emerged at the end
of the 19th century, in the central area of the Republic.

The meat may be red or white according to the taste of each person. Among the ingredients they
use for their preparation are cold meats, cheese, sausages and vegetables that they prepare with
anticipation organized in each family. Those who do not have time to cook buy it by plate from
people who sell it, the pound can cost from Q50 to Q500.
The pumpkin is cooked with rapadura, ginger, clove, pepper and cinnamon. Although the honey
jocotes, the well-known cooked chickpeas and güisquiles that are taken by some people to the
cemeteries on the Day of the Dead are also very popular.
Giant Kites
In Santiago Sacatepéquez the flight of giant kites is one of the most admired shows that attracts
thousands of national and foreign visitors, most of them are pieces worked by local communities
throughout the year.

The fundamental objective of this beautiful custom is religious and cultural, since the inhabitants
believe that it is a communication link between the souls the loved ones who are deceased, and that
in those days they visit their relatives on earth, and that It also brings young people together to
exhibit their artistic talent. It is also believed that the kites act as messengers of peace, because
telegrams are sent to them,
which consists of making a hole in a piece of paper or cardboard and placing it in the pita, and in
each pull that is given, the telegram rises until it reaches the kite itself, bringing to its destination a
message of well-being and peace among brothers.