So on December 12th is the celebration of Our Lady of Guadalupe, which is the Virgin Mary. So in Mexican culture, it is believed that hundreds of years ago, a little boy named, Juan Diego saw the vision of a woman on December 9th while walking home on hill in Mexico. The woman was surrounded by light and told Juan Diego that she wanted him to build a church in her honor in that location. The little boy then realized that she was the Virgin Mary, so he ran to find the bishop to let him know of what happened and that they needed to build a church for the Virgin Mary. The bishop didn’t believe Juan Diego, so he asked him to return to the woman to get a miraculous sign of proof. So three days later on the 12th, the Virgin Mary told the boy to gather flowers, but they were all dead because it was winter and the flowers only grew during the spring and summer. So the Virgin Mary took the dead flowers from Juan Diego and put them in his cloak. The boy then went back to the bishop and when he took the cloak from Juan Diego, a bunch of beautiful bloomed flowers fell out and on the cloak appeared the image of the Virgin Mary.
To celebrate this holiday, you and your family make food and listen to music and dance, and everyone must offer flowers and cloaks to the Virgin Mary. For some people that I know, they have shrines dedicated to the Virgin Mary in their homes and they just put the offerings there. Other people will go to churches and put the offering around the Virgin Mary’s statue there.
Does you family celebrate this?
No, but I know a lot about it. And last year, I went to my boyfriend’s house to celebrate this because his family is Mexican and this is a big holiday for them. I think it is one of their most valued and revered holy day. The Virgin Mary is a huge symbol in Mexican culture. You see her image everywhere. And rosary’s are popular for that reason too – cause you pray the Rosary to the Virgin Mary.
So do only religious families celebrate this?
No. But I mean, many of the families that do are religious, but it’s more of a tradition at this point. Like Christmas. I know so many people are aren’t religious but celebrate Christmas for the traditional and loving aspect of it. It’s the same with this. Like people celebrate this day because of tradition if for no other reason.
My reaction:
In my Spanish class, I learned about this too and I am also aware that many Latin families celebrate the same figure and that it is a revered holiday.