A Very Special Day of the Dead

Dia de Los Muertos, Day of the Dead, sounds like a somber sort of holiday, morbid even, but it's truly not. It is a three-day event to celebrate the life of a loved one who has passed by gathering with family and friends at the gravesite to exchange stories, share food, and remember a beautiful person who touched your life. It starts October 31st, All Hallow's Eve, and goes thru All Saints Day and All Souls Day, November 1st and 2nd.

I've always been in awe of this holiday in Guatemala. In past years, I've gone to the cemetery on this day and been deeply touched by the number of people gathered and the care they take with the gravesite. Almost every visitor bring flowers. Occasionally, people will leave offerings of food and drink. They touch up the paint on the stones. Children race between the mausoleums. There is laughter mixed in with sadness. Some members of the family only see each other on this special day so there is a lot of chatter. People will sometimes stay at the gravesite all night, burning candles and incense.

This year, Bert and I are full of sorrow at the recent death of our good friend, Nancy. Nancy was such an amazing woman -- smart, funny, kind to a fault, and a fantastic baker. 😊 She and her husband, Jonas, were one of the first friends that we made after arriving in Guatemala in 2015. They gave Rob his first dogwalking job...with four dogs! Nancy was so sweet that we called her our Fairy Godmother. She brought us presents from the States, baked us cookies, and always had time to listen. We were blessed to have known her and we miss her very much.

My good friend, Iva, joined me at the market where we bought flowers and then took a tuk-tuk to the cemetery in Jucanya. (A bouquet of marigolds is only Q5 or less than $1.)

The market was overflowing with flower vendors.

Bouquets started at Q5 for marigolds, which are traditional, and went up in price from there.
I thought it was amusing that they were selling goldenrod as a flower. Back home, it's considered a nasty allergen!

Because Nancy's death was so recent, her alcove has yet to be painted. I'm afraid I wasn't 100% sure which was hers, but I assumed it was the one with the lovely vases and flowers. A helpful man brought over a tall metal ladder for us but neither Iva nor I were brave enough to climb it. So a young man went up-up-UP with our flowers and placed them for us. After he came down, we started to walk away...at which point we were informed it was Q5 for the use of the ladder. Then the men around started saying the muchacho should get Q10. We laughed them off...but I think perhaps the young man was a bit disappointed.

I doubled checked with photos from Nancy's funeral and we did get the correct spot.
Either way, Iva and I agreed, "Someone is gonna get some nice flowers." :)

We strolled amongst the graves, admiring the paintings and flowers. Some people had radios playing while they painted and chatted with friends. Iva and I agreed that a wonderful peaceful vibe permeated the site.

So much colour! In Spanish, the alcoves are called nichos, like niches.

Grass and flowers and crafts. Such a wonderful tribute.

Someone took extra care with the beautiful painting on this young man's grave.

You can see the drinks left as offerings. We also saw a lot of oranges slices and a few buns.

A doggie strolling thru the cemetery, perhaps taking food offerings when no one is looking.

The cemetery has a wonderful view of the surrounding hills.

Iva had never been to Dia de Los Muertos before so she was a bit surprised at the booths selling pizza, hot dogs, candied fruit, and even bras. We sampled some jocotes in juice -- tasted like dates -- and then stopped at our friend's stand to buy carrot cake and rosa de jamaica, a lovely drink that tastes like flowers.

3x10 pizza places set up outside the cemetery. Sure, why not?

It was a beautiful day and I'm glad I was able to get away from my desk and honor my friend Nancy in traditional Guatemalan fashion. I think she would have liked that. :)

Nancy's obituary is here, for those who'd like to learn a bit more about her. (I'm not sure how long the link will stay active.)

For those who'd like to learn more about Dia de Los Muertos:
Dia de Los Muertos Isn't Mexican Halloween
What is Dia de Los Muertos?
Growing Up Bilingual Blog - about fiambre, the traditional Guatemalan food