wear tissue paper hats during an Easter celebration the winding mountain streets of Tetela del Volcán are filled with a crush of vivid yellows Hundreds of what appear to be human-sized caterpillars with elaborate stripes bob along the road Shaggy tissue paper hats resembling caterpillars sit atop the heads of men and women wearing bearded and mustached leather masks and colored capes adorned with images of Jesus and Virgin Mary The characters they portray are known as “sayones.” wielding a tissue paper hat during Easter celebrations in Tetela del Volcan tries to put out a fire he started on a tissue paper hat as part of Easter celebrations in Tetela del Volcan are part of a cherished Easter celebration dating back 350 years in the central Mexican town which sits pressed up next to Mexico’s active Popocatépetl volcano prepare for months for the three-day celebration every Easter weekend it’s part of our essence,” said José Alfredo Jimenez the town’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 Jimenez said the celebration came to be when European colonizers arrived to Latin America and attempted to evangelize local Indigenous communities to Catholicism often spreading their religion through theatrical performances portraying figured from the crucifixion of Jesus prepare to take part in an Easter celebration runs with a tissue paper hat as onlookers throw lit matches at him during Easter celebrations in Tetela del Volcan the tradition grew to take on its own identity mixing with local Mexican customs like many Easter and Holy Week celebrations across Latin America meant to imitate the helmets worn by Roman soldiers and have gradually grown more elaborate over the past 25 years as residents have sought to out-do each other The hats were little more than vertical arm-length tufts when Jimenez began to participate as a teenager but have slowly turned into two-meter-long multi-colored puffs teetering on people’s heads as they march through the streets residents pick new colors for their costume 20-year-old Eduardo Canizal chose a three-pronged pink and black tissue paper structure fastened to a black cowboy hat and with a cushion on the back of his neck to support the hat’s weight Others fasten them onto construction hats or metal wire in a tissue paper hat during Easter Day celebrations in Tetela del Volcan He said the hat is made up of around 900 sheets of tissue paper which he began to cut into thin threads by hand over a month before leather boots and a mask before heading out to the march “This weighs like 15-20 kilos (35-40 pounds) leaning over and using his body’s momentum to swing the hat over his head Others dress up as key figures in the Catholic story of the Jesus’ crucifixion like Pontius Pilate and Judas who is chased through the streets of Tetela del Volcán said it’s a celebration the town has clung to as other Easter marches and traditions like Mexico’s Day of the Dead have been flooded by tourists more than a thousand people participated this year yet the celebration still remains local at its heart “We still try to keep alive this mystical side especially as we’ve seen other cultural activities suffer a change a transformation for better or for worse.” Cloaks portraying religious figures are delicately embroidered and some like Emilio Aguilar begin creating intricate designs with sequins and beads as early as July waving his and over a two-food long embroidery of the Virgin Mary emblazoned on his back each dress identically in white and pastel colored hats But all of those efforts quite literally go up in smoke at the end of the Easter celebration the costumed marchers solemnly lay a bouquet of flowers at the base of a stone church then trek up a winding mountain slope trailed by paramedics try to put out fires they started on tissue paper hats as part of Easter celebrations in Tetela del Volcan tries to put out a fire he started on his tissue paper hat as part of Easter celebrations in Tetela del Volcan police officers and screaming little boys sling matches at the men until their paper hats burst into flames While authorities try to keep the flames confined to a stadium celebrations quickly spill onto the streets Aguilar said it’s their way of paying penance on the Catholic holiday it’s a sacrifice of all the work that went into these,” he said Please upgrade your browser to improve your experience The chef behind the One MICHELIN Star spot in Oceanside shares his delicious recipe “This dish is a tribute to my family's Oaxacan heritage and the traditional foods I cherished during visits to Oaxaca and Puebla,” says Chef Roberto Alcocer of One MICHELIN Star Valle of his tetela. Originating from the Mixteca region of Oaxaca and parts of Puebla, tetelas act as an easy gastronomic entry point into Mexican culture “[Tetelas are] associated with the town of Tetela del Volcan nestled on the slopes of the Popocatépetl volcano,” adds Alcocer and it’s evident through the smoky undertones permeating the dish “Our tetelas are filled with chicharrón prensado in salsa verde then served on a bed of fresh salsa verde and beans and garnished with avocado pearls,” shares Alcocer A splash of Reserva de la Familia Extra Añejo for added depth “A good way to pair food and drink is by using it in part of the cooking process,” adds Alcocer “I learned this from the wine world and now use that knowledge with tequila.” learn how to make Alcocer’s tetela and make sure to open up a bottle of tequila for added inspiration Chef Roberto Alcocer’s Tetela recipeServes 6 Turn your kitchen into a starry affair with this easy mango sticky rice recipe from Chef Chumpol Jangprai of R-Haan Phoget other recipes—here’s how you can make a simple Hanoian pho at home just like at the popular Phở Bò Ấu Triệu in Hanoi You can still nail a ‘literally green’ recipe that’ll have your taste buds thriving From listening bars to neighbourhood restaurants explore all the top recommendations from Chishuru’s Adejoké Bakare One of the most prominent chefs serving Indian cuisine talks India and his New York What the MICHELIN Guide Inspectors Saw in 2025 The Mexican capital takes center stage alongside the culinary world's top talents From Texas Barbecue to Mexico City's cutting-edge dining these new MICHELIN Guide hot spots promise unforgettable vacations and world-class cuisine These are the best lake vacations for a summer break from Lake Tahoe in the US to Lake Como in Switzerland and the MICHELIN-recommended restaurants and bolt holes to bed down in when you visit where do fashion’s biggest names retreat for a bite and a bed We imagine the post-Gala sanctuaries of the chicest attendees these iconic chefs mentor professional chefs who have an ego ​13 new restaurants receive their first MICHELIN Star ​Three new establishments are awarded the MICHELIN Green Star Who knew brisket and biscuits could be so good From tartan fabrics and stag antler furnishings to rare Scotch whiskies and castle views you'll have no doubt which country you're in when staying at these Michelin-Key hotels she has championed America’s farm-to-table movement for 54 years The self-proclaimed “unofficial talent scout” shares his local favorites from the city he calls home Non-members can add the privileges at checkout through our 30 day free trial By continuing I accept the Terms & Condition and Privacy Policy. I would like to receive Newsletter from MICHELIN Guide Save lists of your favorite restaurants & hotels \u201cThis dish is a tribute to my family's Oaxacan heritage and the traditional foods I cherished during visits to Oaxaca and Puebla,\u201d says Chef Roberto Alcocer of One MICHELIN Star Valle of his tetela. Originating from the Mixteca region of Oaxaca and parts of Puebla, tetelas act as an easy gastronomic entry point into Mexican culture \u201c[Tetelas are] associated with the town of Tetela del Volcan nestled on the slopes of the Popocat\u00e9petl volcano,\u201d adds Alcocer and it\u2019s evident through the smoky undertones permeating the dish \u201cOur tetelas are filled with chicharr\u00f3n prensado in salsa verde then served on a bed of fresh salsa verde and beans and garnished with avocado pearls,\u201d shares Alcocer A splash of Reserva de la Familia Extra A\u00f1ejo for added depth \u201cA good way to pair food and drink is by using it in part of the cooking process,\u201d adds Alcocer \u201cI learned this from the wine world and now use that knowledge with tequila.\u201d learn how to make Alcocer\u2019s tetela and make sure to open up a bottle of tequila for added inspiration Chef Roberto Alcocer\u2019s Tetela recipeServes 6