Repairing Baby Jesus

Mr. Juan Teodoro Sanchez Morales carries the Baby Jesus figures to paint their bodies and hair with an airbrush, thus completing the entire restoration work on the figures on January 16, 2026 in Mexico City, Mexico. Figures Creaciones Sánchez is a small family business with almost forty years of history, located on the corner of Mesones and Talavera streets, inside Plaza La Aguilita in the old Merced section of Mexico City. They specialize in the sale and repair of Baby Jesus figures during the thirty-one days leading up to Candlemas (the presentation of the Baby Jesus at the Temple in Bethlehem). During this season, they receive between 3,400 and 3,600 Baby Jesus figures for repair. The figures are made of plaster, porcelain, polymer (plastic), and wood are used; the latter is the least common, as only a maximum of 20 pieces arrive at the workshop due to their rarity, the process involved, their age, and the higher repair cost, since they use cedar wood. The repair process involves sanding, done by Erick Sanchez Orozco (the youngest son); repair, done by Jonathan Sanchez Orozco (the eldest son); detailing, done by Francisca Isabel Orozco Gonzalez; and painting, done by Juan Teodoro Sanchez Morales; they all receive figures ranging from 5 centimeters to 60 centimeters that are passed down through several generations as family heirlooms, which means that the sale of new figures (which they also make at home) is less compared to repairs, which are in higher demand due to their sentimental value in keeping the family Baby Jesus. PHOTO-ESSAY : SEARCH "REPAIRING BABY JESUS" FOR THIS STORY. PHOTO AND TEXT BY "Josue Pérez”. (Photo by Josue Pérez/Nexpher Images)