Kite Lines - Vol.1 No. 3 - KiteLife

Story byHall HammondPhotographs byPat HammondImagine the spectacle of huge roundkites, some 30 feet in diameter,swirling over a colorfully garlandedgraveyard near a tiny Indian village .This scene has been repeating itselffor generations on the Day ofthe Dead (November 1) in the centralGuatemalan hillside town of Santiagode Secatepequez .The origins of this traditional eventare unknown but these unique kitesare flown from the graves to releasethe souls of the dead, many of whomhave died in the frequent earthquakesin the area . The kites (locally calledbarroletas) are constructed by piecingcolored strips of tissue paper in a concentricpattern with many symbolsand designs included . The kites vary insize but are all one shape . This work isperformed only by males who work formonths to prepare for the special daywhen they place the circular patternon a crude bamboo frame and add flags,fringe and streamers . (Continued)Toto Santos, All Saints Day in Guatemala, where kites made in muddyvillage gardens rise over hillside graves to assist the souls of the departed .All these round kites are made of multicolor tissue papers and in flight they filterthe light as brilliantly as cathedral rose windows . They carry flags on top,fringe all around and long streamer tails below . Senor Ixtol and his family are shown duringconstruction of one of these kites . The tissue covers are burned over the graves after flight,but the cane frames are saved from year to year .