Day of The Virgen of Guadalupe is celebrated on December 12th.
The Virgen of Guadalupe is a Mexican symbol for its people that symbolizes hope amongst her faithful believers, and unity amongst Mexicans. She has been called “the first Mestiza” as she appeared in dark hair and skin to appeal to the Indigenous people and unite them in faith with the newly Spanish conquered Mexico.
The story goes…
On December 9 of 1513, an Indigenous man named Juan Diego was walking through the hills of Tepeyac (currently Mexico City) when he heard the voice of a woman call him and then he saw a woman with dark hair and skin covered in a splendid light who spoke to him in Nahuatl (Juan Diego’s native language) and then identified herself as the Virgen Mary, mother of God and who is the reason for which you live.
She appeared to Juan Diego to ask for a temple to be built there for her and for in it, all of her love, compassion, help and refuge be displayed. She asked him to go tell the Bishop to manifest her wish. He followed her instructions and went to see Bishop Fray Juan de Zumarraga, but the Bishop told him to come back and did not pay much attention to him.
On his way back the Virgen appeared to him again and asked him to return tomorrow to the Bishop and insist on her temple to be built and to tell the Bishop that she, the mother of God was sending him, and Juan Diego did as told. He went back as he promised and insisted again to the Bishop who then asked him for proof that the mother of God was appearing to him and asking for a temple.
On Juan Diego’s return home, he encountered the Virgen once again and told her of the Bishop’s request. She asked him to return tomorrow so she could grant the Bishop proof that he was requesting. But the next day he failed to return as agreed since his uncle became gravely ill and could not leave him.
Once Juan Diego saw that his uncle would not make it, he left to seek a priest to confess his uncle before his death. On his way he once again encountered the Virgen and apologized for not going to her the day before and explained what had happened. The Virgen then responded to him “Am I not your mother, are you not under my protection, am I not your health? Do not fear for your uncle for he will not die from his aliment and I will heal him, go onto to what I have asked of you”.
She then instructed him to go to the top of the Tepeyac hill and cut flowers that were there and to take the to the Bishop. Juan Diego was surprised to find Rosas de Castilla as they were uncommon in the area, but he did like he was told and put the varied colors of Roses of Castilla in his cloth (tilma) and took them to the Bishop. When he arrived before the Bishop, he told them that he had the proof they had asked for from the Mother of God and then opened his cloth (tilma) to reveal the roses. When the roses fell out, the image of the Virgen was imprinted on Juan Diego’s cloth (tilma).
Nowadays…
Today, this same cloth (tilma) with the Virgen de Guadalupe’s image is displayed at the Basilica de Guadalupe in Mexico City. It hangs above the high altar and is protected with bullet proof glass and low-oxygen atmosphere.
Every 12th of December in Mexico and in part of the world where she has devoted followers the Day of the Virgen of Guadalupe is celebrated. The Basilica of Guadalupe is the most visited Catholic pilgrimage sites in the world.
On the Day of The Virgen of Guadalupe the celebration usually includes going to church, visiting an altar dedicated to her or making your own altar to her. In mass the mañanitas (Mexican birthday song) are sung to her and there are cultural and Indigenous dances that are danced in honor to her. The altars usually contain candles and roses. The candles symbolize what the faithful is praying for and the roses symbolize her flower that chose as proof of her appearance. Therefore, during these dates of significance and celebration you will find altars in our markets along with candles and flowers.
