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Dia de Guadalupe in Mexico - Day of the Virgin of Guadalupe
December
12th is Dia de Guadalupe which is one of the most important celebrations
of Mexico and Catholics around the world. The Virgin of Guadalupe is the
most famous and celebrated of all saints and she is also known as the
“Virgen Morena” and is the patron saint of Mexico. Supposedly she was
first encountered by an Aztec Indian, San Juan Diego, on the hill of
Tepeyac now known as modern day Mexico City, in 1531, shortly after the
conquest by the Spanish Conquistadors.
As the story goes he was on his way to a monastery and when passing the
hill of Tepeyac he heard signing as the sky turned brilliant and at the
end of the signing he heard a call from a woman. As he knelt before her
she i
dentified herself as the “consummate virgin Saint Mary, mother of
the true deity , God, the giver of Life, the creator of all, the ever
present lord of heaven and earth”. Then she then asked for a temple to
be built on the so that she could attend to the “weeping, sorrows and
prayers” of all the people of the land.
While he tried to rely this sighting to the Bishop he had no proof and was afraid to offend the deity so he returned to the hill and once again he saw her and she told him to pick some Castilian Roses and return to the Bishop with the roses that were very uncommon to the area at that time. With this “miracle” the Bishop then believed Juan Diego’s story and shortly there after there was a Basilica built on that site in honor of The Virgin Guadalupe.
Dia de Guadalupe is more important for many Mexicans that Easter or Christmas and is celebrated with parades, pilgrimages and fiestas throughout much of Mexico and most of Latin America. In 1737 she was recognized as the patron Saint of Mexico City and eventually by 1946 to include all of the Americas. This day is to celebrate the love we give to the Virign de Guadalupe and is known to many as the day of Love (Amor).
With this day is also the beginning of the Christmas Posadas and holidays all over Mexico and Latin America.
