The Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe

People in Mexico and in the United States celebrate the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe on December 12. Mary is the Patron Saint of Mexico and Patroness of the Americas.

According to tradition, the Virgin Mary appeared to Juan Diego, a man of Aztec descent who had converted to Christianity, on December 9, 1531. She asked Juan Diego to build a shrine on the spot where she had appeared, Tepeyac Hill, now in a suburb of Mexico City.

Although a little confusing, the Virgin Mary refers to Mary, the mother of Jesus while Our Lady of Guadalupe refers to the specific apparition of the Virgin Mary that Juan Diego experienced.

The feast is celebrated with parades, prayers, masses, fireworks and Aztec dancing.