the Day of the Dead in Central America. As we prepare to travel to
Guatemala in March, 2008 I am reminded of a visit to a Guatemalan cemetery
in January, 2004.
The cemetery in chichi Castenango was a mix of Mayan and Christian graves.
The Mayan grave sites are unique because they include an opening for the
soul of the departed to come and go. On the Day of the Dead, families come
to celebrate with their ancestors with special foods and ceremonies. This
seemed like a quaint tradition until we came upon a Mayan couple preparing
for marriage. The couple were participating in a religious ceremony
designed to bring the ancestors into the new marriage. We kept a respectful
distance.
IN June of each year, our sisters and brothers of Santa Maria remember the
martyrs who died in Guatemala's 36 year civil war. Some families have never
found the loved ones who were disappeared during the war. It isn't until we
see the connection Mayan's maintain between the living and the dead that we
can begin to appreciate the loss the Mayan people have suffered.
The link below leads to pictures and information on Chichi Castenango. No
endorsement of the site is made or implied.
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