New YouTube video: Day of the Dead in Guatemala

November 4, 2022

There are so many unique ways Guatemalans celebrate their ancestors on Día de Muertos, aka Day of the Dead. So on November 1, Day of the Dead, I released a video to share those traditions with the world. Growing up Guatemalan-American, I had very few ways to learn about my traditions. I mostly thought of Guatemalan culture as "like Mexico, but different." That was especially true of Day of the Dead. So in 2021, I traveled to Guatemala and Mexico to learn about Day of the Dead in both countries, and to learn more about my heritage.

This included visiting my grandparents' grave in Guatemala, and meeting with Guatemalan family I barely knew. I learned about the giant kite festivals (Barriletes Gigantes), unique foods like candied pumpkin (Dulce de Ayote) and Fiambre salad, and joined with other Guatemalan families honoring our ancestors in a cemetery.This video shares that story, and I hope it will help educate people about Guatemala's unique traditions. It's the resource I wish I had as a kid: