Chatting with Belem puts a smile on your face, her cheerful attitude and passion for her art are qualities that Saint Michael and the world needs and perhaps some of the skills it needs to continue the fun tradition of the fireworks monkeys. 

As their name suggests, these little monkeys are used as symbolic representations of miniature figures that proceed to explode when filled with many fireworks. Devils and clowns are usually the most popular models but the simple fact that they explode attracts a lot of attention from children and adults. 

The process of making the dolls is quite ecological, using recyclable paper as raw material. Newspapers and cement paper are used to cover the small molds of the bodies, which are hollowed out and then filled with fireworks. Once the body is ready, Belem and her family proceed to place the face and ears made from soft cardboard from cereal boxes.

Once the monkey's body, face and details are ready, they are painted and filled with rockets. As a safety measure, they make sure that when they fill them, they don't make them too thick like a piñata, but they do make the rockets strong so that they don't come loose or fall off when they spin. 

The funniest and most peculiar thing for Belem was that she inherited this craft without having any idea how to make them. She tells with a laugh that when her father, who was the one who made them, died, many orders were left unfinished and that it was her mother who taught her the whole trade, which she has continued with the tradition for years. 

And it is thanks to Belem that the monkeys can continue to be part of the folklore of local towns and the festival of San Miguel and even at private parties. “The funny thing is that people can have the monkeys made in the shape they want and that causes a lot of laughter.”

We thank you for lightening our hearts and for giving a sense of humor to the people of San Miguel, whom we invite to commission your little monkeys to give a touch of originality and laughter to all those present at their festivities.