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| A reveler, known as a sayon, tries to put out a fire he started on a tissue paper hat as part of Easter celebrations in Tetela del Volcan, Mexico, Sunday, April 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo) |
Easter in Mexico: Town Celebrates with Towering Hats and Fiery Rituals
In the town of Tetela del Volcán, nestled beside Mexico’s active Popocatépetl volcano, more than a thousand residents came together this Easter weekend to celebrate a 350-year-old tradition marked by elaborate Roman soldier costumes, theatrical reenactments, and a fiery finale.
The three-day celebration, deeply rooted in local identity, blends Catholic symbolism introduced by European colonizers with centuries of Mexican cultural expression. Residents begin preparations months in advance, crafting intricate costumes and planning for one of Mexico’s most distinctive Easter parades.
‘It’s part of our essence,’ said José Alfredo Jimenez, Tetela’s director of tourism and culture. ‘It’s something that gives us our originality as Tetelans. No one else in Mexico does anything like this, it’s unique.’
The tradition traces back to the colonial era, when Spanish missionaries used theatrical performances to spread Christianity, often dramatizing the crucifixion of Jesus and involving Roman soldier characters. Over time, Tetela’s Holy Week celebration evolved into a unique display of local artistry and devotion.
A key feature is the towering hats worn by the sayones — participants who imitate Roman soldiers. Once simple in design, these helmets have become extravagant constructions of tissue paper reaching up to two meters in height. ‘Every year, you want to do something bigger, better and you keep going,’ said 20-year-old Eduardo Canizal, whose pink and black three-pronged creation was made from 900 sheets of tissue paper.
Participants like Canizal also wear leather boots, masks, and cloaks as they parade through town, clanging machetes — used to symbolize Roman swords — on the ground. Others dress as figures from the crucifixion narrative, such as Pontius Pilate and Judas, who is theatrically chased through the streets.
Jimenez noted the town’s commitment to preserving authenticity amid growing tourism pressures. ‘We still try to keep alive this mystical side, Tetela’s signature, especially as we’ve seen other cultural activities suffer a change, a transformation for better or for worse,’ he said.
Costumes featuring sequined and beaded religious iconography, like those created by Emilio Aguilar and his group of relatives, are started months in advance. ‘You do this little by little, in your free time,’ said Aguilar, showing off an embroidered image of the Virgin Mary.
But the climax of the event comes when the marchers’ tissue hats are set ablaze in a dramatic act of ritual sacrifice. On Sunday afternoon, participants leave flowers at the local church before running up a nearby mountain slope, where townspeople throw lit matches at their paper hats.
‘After all these months of work, it’s a sacrifice of all the work that went into these,’ said Aguilar, as flames and cheers rose around him.
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