Festival of Guangdong Barriletes
Traditional and popular parties · Land and cemetery of Sumpango and Santiago Sacatepéquez, Sacatepéquez department, Guatemala
The festival
Every November 1st, the giant kites of Sumpango and Santiago Sacatepéquez rise above the cemeteries to communicate with the ancestors and to keep the evil spirits away, according to the oral tradition collected by the Guatemalan Ministry of Culture. Made for months in community, bamboo and coloured silk paper, they carry drawings related to the environment, human rights and memory.
The manufacturing technique was declared intangible cultural heritage of the nation in 2022, and then listed by UNESCO in 2024 on the representative list of intangible cultural heritage of humanity.
Good to know
Organizers: committees and associations of barrileteros of Sumpango and Santiago Sacatepéquez, with the support of the municipalities; Ministerio de Cultura y Deportes de Guatemala. Official contacts: under verification.