Dona Viviana Alavez, the 74-year-old matriarch, is a trailblazer and guardian of the timeless craft tradition for which her Mexican village is known: pouring delicate beeswax candles in colorful colors.

In Teotitlan del Valle, the Oaxacan town where Casa Viviana is located, the quiet streets smell of honey and burning wood, as they have for four generations.

Behind the modest brick-fronted building, matriarch Dona Viviana Alavez presides over the hand-making of an elaborate ceremonial wax candle; This Mexican village is known for this wax torch. Dona Viviana, 74, is a pioneer and guardian of a timeless craft tradition that stems from ancient wedding rituals.

This small Zapotec community has existed since the 15th century, before the Spanish arrived in Mexico. In the early days, young couples here would meet in secret.

If the woman's family does not approve of the marriage, the groom will often elope with the bride of his choice, only for the couple to later express false regret and return to the family, because it is easier to ask for mercy than to propose.

Carrying gifts for the bride's family and accompanied by town elders willing to act as peacemakers, the couple will lead a procession of friends and relatives to the door of the bride's parents, each holding one of these exquisite colorful candles. This custom has gradually died out, but the centuries-old ritual tradition remains.

Bibiana Hernandez Mendoza, Dona Viviana's granddaughter, confirmed to me that "the meaning and symbolism of the candles are not lost." These candles were called velas tradicionales de concha because the shapes of the ornaments were inspired by shells. "They symbolize the happiness of the newlywed couple," Hernandez Mendoza explained.

At the age of eight, Dona Viviana began making candles using molds that had been passed down from her great-grandmother to her grandmother. Dona Viviana was orphaned at an early age and spent her childhood surrounded by her grandmother.

Melt the wax and color it, pour it into the wood mold, cool it with water, and perfect her craft. Quality has always been Dona Viviana's driving force. In the years that followed, she would steadily forge her own path as both artist and entrepreneur, sometimes courting controversy.

Historically, candle-making families worked without pay and made a living by bartering, producing these candles for the Catholic Church in exchange for food. The system has left many candle-makers destitute, with some giving up the profession altogether. In the 1970s, Dona Viviana's husband fell ill and she was left to raise two sons and a daughter on her own. To make a living, she had to go against tradition and find markets for her exquisite candles outside the church and village, in other parts of Oaxaca.

Her son, Jose Hernandez Alavez, recalled: "She was the only source of income for our family and the only way out for our family. In the past, women engaged in artistic labor in the candle-making industry, and the specific affairs were managed by men. For this reason, Dona Viviana is even more ostracized for daring to express her ideas and commercialize her work."

Dona Viviana did not hold back from the reaction she caused in her hometown, and her bold attempt paid off. Not only was she able to support her family, but she single-handedly revitalized the candle-making industry in the area.

As the market expanded, she needed more help. Once again, Dona Viviana did the unthinkable. She opened her workshop, not only to family members as is customary, but also to women from the village or the surrounding area who were interested in learning her craft and the tradition of making these candles.

This break with tradition angered the village elders, who decided to put her out of business and confiscate many of Dona Viviana's wooden models.

This seemingly tragic event proved to be a blessing in disguise. With only a handful of hand-me-down molds left, artists were forced to innovate.

In her memory, Dona Viviana said in Zapotec to her son and granddaughter, who worked as translators: "Creativity is born in this situation.

I looked at nature and came up with the idea of breaking apart some natural flowers to [make molds] and being able to create large and small roses, just like candles do today." Her new design goes beyond the traditional shell pattern, paying homage to tradition and the future at the same time.

People see a break with tradition, and Dona Viviana sees the tradition of making these candles saved. Her granddaughter explains: "In Viviana's family, teamwork is important and we all contribute our ideas. In my family, men and women, everyone's work is equal."

Dona Viviana proudly says that in the village of Teotitlan del Valle, if you know how to make candles, you learned it at Casa Viviana.

Indeed, her ingenuity not only expanded her family business, but also provided a livelihood for many women in the area and changed the face of candle making in Teotitlan.