December 12 is recognized throughout Mexico as a Feast Day of Our Lady of Guadalupe, when she appeared as an apparition and miraculously changed the course of history in Latin America. In Oaxaca today, there will be parades and masses and people lighting votive candles to honor the woman who symbolically brought indigenous peoples under the fold of Catholicism brought by the Conquest.
If you are in Oaxaca and want to participate in observances, here is the link https://maps.app.goo.gl/oWm8RmQteTSHqi8j6 to get you to the Iglesia de Guadalupe (Guadalupe church).
My friend Linda Hanna who has been a Oaxaca textile maven for years, celebrates with an annual gathering at her home in Huayapam. Invited participants create a Virgin from piles of findings — fabrics, ribbons, buttons bric a brac, amulets, and milagros. Some years back, Linda worked with weavers, embroiderers and dyers from throughout Mexico to recreate images of the Virgin of Guadalupe in cloth — clothing, wall hangings, table coverings. It was spectacular and there is a book dedicated to what was created and the artisans who contributed.
Guadalupe is NOT a saint. She is Our Lady of Guadalupe, Giver of Miracles. She is more popular than Mary, Jesus, or any other dieties in Mexico. In fact, she is celebrated in the Spanish-speaking world where the Conquest aimed to convert indigenous people to the new religion. She became the embodiment of Mary, but much more important because she blends the old beliefs with the new — called syncretism.
In pre-Hispanic Mexico, she is Corn Goddess. She is Mother Earth. Protectress. She is Tonantzin. Guadalupe, or Lupita as many call her, sings to us as a spiritual symbol, especially for women. She is Queen, robed in finery, but also of the people.
I’ve written a lot about the Virgin of Guadalupe. If you want to know more, please click on these links.
Who Is the Virgin of Guadalupe?
Digging Deeper: About the Virgin of Guadalupe
Linda Hanna’s Textile Show in Mexico City
Who is she?
- Mother of the Americas
- Patroness of Mexico
- A religious symbol
- A symbol of identity and resistance, especially during the Mexican Revolution
- A unifying figure, blending cultures
- Celebrated with pilgrimages, religious services, dances, music and cultural festivities
For women, the Virgin of Guadalupe symbolizes strength, identity, hope, and protection. Her image transcends religion, and that is why she appeals to so many women worldwide. She is an emblem in social and political contexts, seen as a compassionate and loving mother who understands struggles and provides comfort. She is believed to watch over and protect families. As a symbol of feminine strength, she offers an alternative to colonialism. As a symbol of endurance, she speaks to women who struggle against poverty, violence, and marginalization. She has been reframed by contemporary writers as a figure of defiance and transformation. Activists have reclaimed her as a protector of marginalized and oppressed women.
This is why it is palatable to embrace, honor, respect, and light a candle for the Virgin of Guadalupe. She is not a religious symbol to me, but one that speaks to social justice and advocacy for equality.
