LIVE ONLINE TOUR - Small group, interactive experience

Location: Mexico City, Mexico

Highlights of the Tour

• Experience the re-enactments, processions and mischief-making of Holy Week festivities in Mexico City
• Learn about how Catholicism collided with indigenous religions
• Discover the tradition of burning life-sized Judas and Diego Riveras collection of the paper-mâché folk art

Sites and Venues Visited

• Crucifixion of Jesus in Iztapalapa
• Altar of our Lady of Sorrows
• Burning of Judas and the collection of Diego Rivera

Burning and Hanging: Exuberant Traditions of Holy Week in Mexico City

Join Montse, a passionate cultural guide of Mexico City, on a virtual journey to learn the history and traditions of Holy Week and its importance to the local community. You'll discover the most famous processions and re-enactments, as well as why people splash each other with water in some parts of the city, and how the tradition of giant papier-mâché dolls (cartonería) has an important role in celebrating one of the country's most revered holidays. Even muralist Diego Rivera has a collection of them in his private studio!

Our first stop is in Iztapalapa where we will see one of the most famous processions and re-enactments of the Crucifixion of Jesus in the world, which draws crowds of up to 5,000 people. Here we'll discuss the arrival of Catholicism in America, and the development of syncretism between the Catholic and pre-Hispanic traditions. Then in San Angel we discover the most celebrated of altars of Virgen de los Dolores, the virgin of honor during the festivities. After discussing the main focal points of the Holy Week as celebrated in Mexico City, we'll switch our dialogue to Mexican folk art. First we'll learn about the process of making traditional handicrafts with a focus on one particularly important for Mexico's Holy Week: the burning of Judas, which in Mexico happens literally, using life-sized papier-mâché figurines. During this part of the tour we'll also visit Diego Rivera's personal collection of Judas figures, now one of the most famous collections of this type.

Help to preserve the traditions of Holy Week

This tour aims to support the preservation of Holy Week traditions, as well as to help in the process of valuing Mexican handicrafts and consequently paying a fair price when purchasing a piece.

Contribution to UN's Sustainable Development Goals

• SDG 5 - Gender Equality: Tour run by an independently employed Latina Woman
• SDG 16 - Peace and Justice: The importance of the traditions of Holy Week as cultural manifestations.

Great Take Aways from the Tour

• Ethical Shopping: Receive information of where to buy authentic Mexican handicrafts

Click here to see the full tour description on Impact Travel Collective's website, or to schedule a custom date or private tour. Languages Available: English & Spanish

Meet the Guide

MONTSE - Mexico City, Mexico

I am a cultural manager, tour guide and founder and director of a company dedicated to travel experiences in Mexico City. I've been studying the topics of art, culture and heritage for over 10 years and have been visiting and studying all the zones of beautiful Mexico City for the past 20. Sustainability is a very important part in my life, and I believe that little but constant actions are the key to create a better world for us and future generations.