By Tiffny Rhodius
The Easter weekend is upon us and soon the sky will be ablaze with all shapes and colours of kites. Stabroek News on Wednesday took to the street to find out from seasonal vendors how kite sales are going.

There are many kite vendors along Camp and Regent streets and inquiries revealed that the average price of kites are $800 for an eighteen-inch star kite while the two feet ones range between $700 and $1,200 and the three-feet kites are going between $2,500-$3,000.

Customers, however, have to pay an added $200 for the ball of twine and more for the tail. Many of the vendors add on the ears or frills upon purchase of the kites.

Many of the vendors that this newspaper spoke to said that the cost for the materials used to make kites has increased and they pointed out that it was especially difficult to find the paper used to  cover the frame.

While some vendors use what they called ‘Barbados’ paper to make their kites, others use cellophane, which is clear plastic. While the cellophane kites are usually cheaper, those made with the ‘Barbados’ paper are much more colourful.

According to some vendors, the ‘Barbados’ paper is harder to find and is more expensive these days.

The ‘Barbados’ paper is the preferred choice because it is a glossy white paper which when painted is even glossier. And while some vendors used spray paint to colour the paper, others used paint that was thinned.

Meanwhile for the frame of the kite, vendors prefer the use of simapura wood. They say that the wood is light. However the cost of the wood too has increased but this newspaper was unable to ascertain by what amount.

Many of the vendors start the production of kites approximately two months before and some make as many as 300 kites. However they noted that sales of kites do not pick up until the weekend before Easter Monday when kites are flown all over the country.

As one vendor explains, the Chinese-made kites, commonly called bird kites, are sold mostly during the week when schoolchildren have kite flying days. He said that the kites are much cheaper and do not require as much skill as the local kites.

On Easter Monday, families gather in open parks throughout the country or along the seawall to colour the sky with a kaleidoscope of kites of various shapes and sizes. Kite flying is said to represent the ascension of Jesus Christ in the Christian faith.

However, in different cultures, the flying of kites has different meanings. For example the kites were flown in Japan to celebrate the birth of a boy or to lift warriors over high walls in times of war. It is believed that kites were first flown in China around 1000BC and the tradition is over 25 centuries old. This is according to Bristol International Kite Festival website www.kite-festival.org.uk.