Celebrating the Giver of Miracles: The Virgin of Guadalupe
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 […]
Who is the Virgin of Guadalupe, Patron Saint of Mexico
Monday, December 12, 2022 is the Feast Day to celebrate the Virgin of Guadalupe, patron saint of Mexico, canonized in 1887 by Pope Leo XIII, revered. Most of us who live in Mexico know the story and many of us have been to the Basilica named in her honor in Mexico City, the most visited […]
Who Is the Virgin of Guadalupe? Digging Deeper
We are fascinated by the Madonna, the Virgin, the Mother Earth Goddess known as Our Lady of Guadalupe, celebrated as The Queen — La Reina — of Mexico. Her feast day, December 12, has come and gone, yet the discussion about her meaning and origins continues. My last blog post, La Reina de Mexico: Celebrating […]
La Reina de Mexico: Celebrating the Virgin of Guadalupe
I’ve been corrected. The Virgin of Guadalupe is not a saint. She is Our Lady of Guadalupe, giver of miracles. In reality, she is the quintessential symbol of Mexican syncretism, combining indigenous roots/beliefs with Spanish Catholicism. In reality, she is more indigenous than Catholic receiving much more attention than the Virgin Mary or Jesus. As […]
Virgin of Guadalupe Textiles Show in Mexico City
Created and curated by Oaxaca folk art collector Linda Hanna, this is a not-to-be-missed exhibition of hand-woven and embroidered textiles — an Homage to the Virgin of Guadalupe and who she is. The textiles — huipiles, rebozos, and other unique pieces — feature the image of our revered Mexican Mother, La Virgen de Guadalupe. This […]
The Virgin of Guadalupe Revisted: Who is she?
December 12 is the Feast Day for Mexico’s beloved Virgin of Guadalupe. The devoted make pilgrimage to her shrine in the Mexico City basilica named in her honor. Many arrive crawling on their knees in supplication. She is honored and revered. Her image appears on every form of religious and commercial iconography you can imagine, […]
The Virgin of Guadalupe Photo Essay: From Primitive to Painterly
The Franz Mayer Museum in Mexico City is featuring a special exhibition about the Virgin of Guadalupe. The images include primitive figures in carved wood, elaborate paintings and wood carvings from church altars, woven and embroidered textiles, and contemporary 2016 photographs by Federico Gama taken at the Basilica de Guadalupe in Mexico City. Why am […]
Dance of the Feather Tribute to the Virgin of Guadalupe, Teotitlan del Valle, Oaxaca
Teotitlan del Valle‘s Los Danzantes are famous throughout the Valles Centrales de Oaxaca. They make a commitment to the church four years before they actually begin their three-year term to perform La Danza de la Pluma — The Dance of the Feather — at all village festivals. Honoring the Virgin of Guadalupe, Queen of Mexico, […]
Queen of Mexico: Celebrating the Virgin of Guadalupe in Teotitlan del Valle
The three-day celebration in Teotitlan del Valle, Oaxaca, Mexico, leading up to December 12 to honor Mexico’s favorite saint, the Virgin of Guadalupe, started on December 10 with a 5 p.m. calenda (procession) that began in the church courtyard. But, I arrived early, at 1 p..m., to find a couple celebrating a wedding in the […]
Celebrating the Virgin of Guadalupe in Teotitlan del Valle, Oaxaca: Schedule
From the looks of this poster, most of the festivities celebrating the Virgin of Guadalupe — La Virgen de Guadalupe — in Teotitlan del Valle, will happen on Sunday, December 10, 2017 and Monday, December 11, 2017. For those of you planning to be here on December 12, to celebrate Mexico’s most important saint, you […]
The Virgin of Guadalupe: Goddess of the People
The Virgin of Guadalupe, the embodiment of the Virgin Mary, appeared to an indigenous Mexican ten years after the conquest in 1531. Juan Diego, his baptized name, told the bishop that the Virgin asked that a temple be built in her honor. The bishop asked for a sign of proof and Juan Diego returned with […]