Día de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe

Día de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe is the celebration of Mexico's patron saint, and therefore a very important fiesta. As the story goes, Juan Diego was on his way to church when he heard heavenly music at Tepeyac Hill outside of then Mexico City. When he climbed the hill to find out where the music was coming from, he saw a woman surround by a blinding light. She then instructed him to go and request that a church be built there in her honor by Bishop Zumárraga.

The Bishop did believe Juan Diego and demanded he bring back proof of his vision. Several days later when Juan Diego was rushing to find a priest for his dying uncle, the vision of the Virgin appeared again. She had him wrap roses in his tilma that had miraculously grown at her feet, despite it being winter. He then took these flowers to the Bishop, and as they poured out the image of the Virgin surrounded by the exact constellation in the sky appeared on the fabric. This same tilma is still intact, and is the relic in the Basílica de Guadalupe.

The Virgin of Guadalupe captured the hearts and minds of the indigenous people, whom Spanish missionaries were converting to Catholicism, though she is also identified with the Aztec earth goddess and mother of humankind. Special masses are held all day long, and there are parades, food, and other public events.