Chiseling for Chanukah

It's Christmas Eve, and also the fourth night of Chanukah aaaand the fourth installment of our Eight Fair Trade Nights. 

Casa Bonampak is a family run business that specializes in promoting Mexican folk art and preserving cultural traditions. The company’s mission is to provide the global community with the highest quality of handmade Mexican folk art, while educating consumers about the difficulties facing small-scale producers, and the importance of purchasing fairly traded products. Local artisans and farmers in underdeveloped regions of Central and Southern Mexico supply the products sold by Casa Bonampak, and in return are paid living wages. 

While promoting and preserving the cultural traditions of Mexico, Casa Bonampak also embraces the culture and traditions of others and offers their own contributions to the Fair Trade Judaica movement.

They haveMazeltov centerpieces and Shalom banners and made using Papel Picado, which is a traditionalpopular art handmade by artisans from Mexico. The brightly colored tissue paper is handcut, using cutting chisels and a top pattern as a guide. Although tissue paper was originally brought to Europe from China and then introduced to Nueva Espana New Spain the indigenous people of Mexico had already been using hand made paper Amatl, along with the tradition of cut decorative and ceremonial images for centuries.

I remember when I first learned the word "Shalom" when I was younger I used it all the time. For some reason, the fact that hello, goodbye and peace could be used all in one word was really exciting for me. I was an interesting child. 

I often get Papel Picado and other items from Casa Bonampak as gifts, because it's a great, unique way to share the cultural diversity that Fair Trade offers. 

Shalom to you all.

[image: casabonampak & annalea]