Day of the Dead.pdf

Effortless English

Day of the Dead

I arrive in Guatemala on The Day of the Dead, November 1st. I’m curious about this holiday, so I go

to the cemetery to see what’s happening. What I find is quite interesting.

The atmosphere is like a party. There are people everywhere. Families are sitting around the

graves of their dead ancestors . They clean the graves and add fresh flowers. I walk through the

cemetery and admire the beauty of all the colorful flowers.

There is also color in the sky, because many kids are flying kites . Some families are having a picnic

next to the graves. They eat, drink, and chat together. People laugh and smile.

In the Unites States, cemeteries are always somber . We certainly never have festivals or parties

next to graves. We don’t laugh or play music or fly kites in cemeteries either.

I find that I prefer the Guatemalan approach . I like the way they remember and celebrate those

who have passed away . I like that they acknowledge death, instead of denying it the way

Americans do. I like that there is life, as well as death, in their cemeteries.

Guatemalans call it “The Day of the Dead”, but it is also a day to appreciate life.

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