I arrive in Guatemala on The Day of the Dead, November 1st.  I’m curious about this holiday, so I go

to the

cemetery

to see what’s happening.  What I find is quite interesting.

The

atmosphere

is like a party.  There are people everywhere.  Families are sitting around the

graves

of their dead

ancestors

.

They clean the graves and add fresh flowers.  I walk through the

cemetery and admire the beauty of all the colorful flowers.

There is also color in the sky, because many kids are flying

kites

.  Some families are having a picnic

next to the graves.  They eat, drink, and chat together.  People laugh and smile.

In the Unites States, cemeteries are always

somber

.  We certainly never have festivals or parties

next to graves.  We don’t laugh or play music or fly kites in cemeteries either.

I

find that

I prefer the Guatemalan

approach

.  I like the way they remember and celebrate those

who have

passed away

.  I like that they acknowledge death, instead of denying it the way

Americans do.  I like that there is life, as well as death, in their cemeteries.

Guatemalans call it “The Day of the Dead”, but it is also a day to appreciate life.