The Day of the Dead celebration in Latin America is a tradition inherited from pre-Columbian culture and is celebrated in early November in various ways, depending on each country’s customs.
About the history
In Guatemala, indigenous communities perform rituals where they pray and place candles on the shores of Lake Atitlán to guide the souls of their deceased.
It is very popular to see giant kites, known locally as barriletes, flying in every corner, symbolizing the souls ascending to heaven. An essential part of these festivities is the visits families make to cemeteries to share different dishes with their departed relatives.
This tradition was historically practiced by pre-Columbian peoples, who, with the arrival of colonization, adopted many traditions from Catholic religion, as well as foods and recipes, which they mixed with local ingredients and flavors, giving rise to new dishes.
A typical salad
During this time, it is very common to enjoy the traditional cold salad of fiambre, a Guatemalan dish prepared specifically for this day, involving a laborious process in its preparation.
It is a combination of many ingredients, including cold meats, sausages, cheeses, and pickled vegetables marinated in a vinegar-based broth.
Other treats generally enjoyed on this day include pumpkin in honey, pumpkin empanadas, delicious jocote in honey, and molletes, which are sweet bread filled with custard and covered in sweet syrup.
Additionally, there are other exquisite dishes such as tejocotes in honey, buñuelos, chickpeas in sweet syrup, and rich atoles.
A wide range of ancestral traditions that today the Guatemalan people preserve as part of their roots and cultural identity.
