Our Lady of Guadalupe

Our Lady of Guadalupe is the most familiar New World image of Mary and the only true picture of the Mother of God. As the patroness of the Americas and of the unborn, she holds a special place in the hearts of many. Each year on December 12 we commemorate the days in 1531 when the Virgin Mary appeared to Juan Diego, a poor Indian, at Tepeyec, a hill northwest of Mexico City. Juan Dieogo's feast day is today, December 9.  This year we observe the 475th year since the apparition.

Her feast day falls just a few days after the feast of the Immaculate Conception.  Interestingly, the apparition of Mary to Juan Diego is one of the first apparitions of Virgin Mary as the Immaculate Conception.  In the image she is pregnant - encinta in Spanish, meaning "with a ribbon around her waist" which is the sign of pregnancy in the old Spanish world.  It is providential that the feast of the Immaculate Conception and the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe fall in Advent.  It gives us an opportunity to focus on Mary, who has been called the bridge between the Old Testament and the New Testament - between expectation and fulfillment.

The feast day of Our Lady of Guadalupe is the most popular Marian feat in Mexico and the Southwestern United States.  Following this feast day, between December 16 and 24, the community celebrates Posadas.  These two celebrations examplify the Hispanic experience of Advent.  Having lived for several years in New Mexico as a teenager, I fell in love with the traditions, the style, and the culture of the southwest.  I enjoy incorporating some of that into our Advent and Christmas preparation and celebration.  There are many ways that you can also.  Pick and choose from the various activties suggested to create your family's celebration. 

Before Juan Diego saw the Virgin Mary he heard celestial music and smelled flowers.  His tilma was later filled with the roses that Our Lady directed him to pick. So music and flowers are central to the celebration of the feast day as are the processions and veneration of the image. If you have a statue or image of Our Lady of Guadalupe in the home it should be placed in a location of prominence and decorated with flowers (paper or real) - see craft section below. If you are in need of an image, votive candles, also can be found at Mexican grocers or sometimes in the Mexican food sections of other grocery stores.  An image can also be downloaded for use from this Our Lady of Guadalupe page. Guadalupe retablo and  Guadalupe ornament are available for you to use on an Advent or Christmas tree, or you can make your own - see craft section below.

Music:

Mañanitas are traditional Mexican songs that people sing early in the morning on birthdays and other special days. Often people are awakened with this song on their birthdays.  Traditionally this song is sung to Our Lady of Guadalupe on her feast day either at midnight or the break of dawn to greet her on this day.  You can start the day with a family serenade to Our Lady.

Las Mananitas (click on audio link to listen. Audio player will open in a new window.)

Estas son las mañanitas
que cantaba el Rey David
Hoy por ser día de tu santo
te las cantamos a ti.

Coro:
Despierta, mi bien, despierta,
mira que ya amaneció
ya los pajarillos cantan,
la luna ya se metio.

These are the morning songs
that King David used to sing.
Because today is your birthday
We are singing them to you.

Chorus:
Awaken, my dear, awaken
and see that he day has dawned,
now the little birds are singing,
and the moon has set.

• Our Lady of the Guitar is a collection of Spanish guitar melodies for Our Lady.
• Savae, a unique ancient world music ensemble, has two Guadalupe CDs -  El Milagro de Guadalupe and Guadalupe and Virgen de los Indios.

Books:

• The Lady of Guadalupe is the wonderfully written and illustrated book by Tomie de Paola.  The second week of Advent Unit study by Elizabeth Foss at Real Learning incorporates this book.
• Our Lady of Guadalupe by Fransisco Serrano is a gorgeous pop-up book that brings the story to life in three dimensions.  I hate to suggest this one as I am only finding it used for high prices, but it a treasure.  It is available new for much less in the Spanish edition and since it is the pictures that are most impressive that could be an option.
• Our Lady of Guadalupe in a Box
• For you or for older children A Handbook on Guadalupe  and The Wonder of Guadalupe are thorough resource.

Resources:

• Our Lady of Guadalupe page - stories, explanations, timeline, pictures, prayers
• Mystery in Our Lady's eyes on the above site and The Eyes of Our Lady detail the miraculous reflections in the eyes of the image.  The second link also illustrates the constellation of stars in her cloak and their significance.
• Symbolism of image is available here  and here .
• Woman for Faith & Family - suggestions for the feast day .
• Catholic Culture website - many recommendations including an enthronement and party.

Crafts:

• Our Lady of Guadalupe Marian Grotto Kit from Illuminated Ink
• Juan Diego paper dolls with fold down tilma from Elizabeth's Real Learning blog.
• Making ojo de Dios (God's eye) - a Mexican craft.  If you decide to discuss the significance of the reflections in Mary's eyes, the eye connection would make this a fitting craft as well as a great tree ornament.  Here is another variation from Alice at Cottage Blessings using cotton swabs.
• Paper roses to place before Our Lady's image.
• Papel picado is a traditional decoration of celebrations in Mexico.  It is easily made from tissue paper. Light blue, pink, and white are used for Marian feasts.

• Our Lady of Guadalupe tree ornament - these are two variations of homemade ornaments discussed on 4 Real Learning.

For the one on the left, I used one of the unfinished ceramic/plaster ornaments from the craft shop, painted it blue with white embellishments, then decoupaged a picture (downloaded from the Internet) of Our Lady of Guadalupe onto it.

For the one on the right Jenn, from Family in Feast and Feria, used polymer clay, rolled into ovals, rimmed by rolling the sides of the clay in to make a grotto and baked.  They were then embellished with metallic markers and an image of Our Lady of Guadalupe (from a holy card) was decoupaged in.

Activities:

• Re-enact the drama of Juan Diego and Our Lady with simple props (cloak, paper or silk flowers, image of Our Lady to pin on shirt)
• Get a rose scented air freshener or potpourri/scented oil.  Keep the smell of roses ongoing in the house all day. Of course loads of real roses would serve the same purpose and be a lovely addition to the celebration.
• Many pilgrims to the shrine in Mexico crawl on their knees up the steps.  Everyone could crawl on their knees through the house or up some stairs to see what that would be like.
• Plan for a posada , the nine day (novena) reenactment to start on the 16 (or modify to do just one day)
• Break a pinata, which is a common part of many Mexican celebrations.
• Decorate with poinsettias (the Christmas flower of Mexico) or farilitos (paper bag luminaries).  I see that December 12 is national poinsettia day!
• Learn the Hail Mary in Spanish:
          Ave Maria (Hail Mary)
  Dios te salve, Maria.  Llena eres gracia: El Senor es contigo.
  Bendita tu eres entre todas las mujeres.  Y benito es el fruto de tu vientre: Jesus.
  Santa Maria, Madre de Dios, ruega por nosotros pecadores, ahora y en hora nuestra muerte. Amen.

Paper activity books:

• Mary Fabyan Windeatt's Our Lady of Guadalupe Coloring Book
• Our Lady of Guadalupe Cut & Color
• Fresh Flowers in Winter - The Story of Saint Juan Diego coloring book (which goes with the audio tape below, but can be used alone)
• or download some coloring images - Juan Diego

Video/Audio:

• Fresh Flowers in Winter - The Story of Saint Juan Diego from Catholic World Missions is a great audio story for children.
• Juan Diego - Messenger of Guadalupe  animated story from CCC of America.
• Guadalupe is a new movie which opens Dec. 8 in the United States.  It is playing for a limited time at select theaters in the country and in Mexico.  See link.  It is in Spanish with English subtitles.  Cardinal Norberto Rivera Carrera of Mexico City has endorsed the movie and said, "It puts the discovery of the numerous unknown aspects of the Holy Mary of Guadalupe within reach of the public."

Food:

Of course no festival, celebrating the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, would be complete without some authentic food. Dinner could include traditional foods like enchiladas, tamales, burritos, tacos or pozole. Biscochitos are a standard Christmas season cookie and are served with wine, or hot chocolate for the children. 

Biscochitos (Mexican Christmas Cookies)
1 cup lard or shortening
2/3 cup sugar
1 egg
2 Tbsp red wine, brandy or sherry (or sub. orange juice)
1 tsp crushed anise seed
3 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder (optional)
1/2 tsp salt (optional)
1/2 cup sugar mixed w/ 1 tsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350

Beat lard/shortening until light and fluffy.  Mix in the 2/3 cup sugar, then the egg. Beat in 2 Tbsp wine/sherry and anise seed.  Stir in flour (and salt baking powder if using), adding more wine as needed to form a soft dough.  Let stand for 10 minutes. On a lightly floured surface, roll out 1/4 inch thick and cut into shapes as desired (fleur-de-lis is common shape).  Dip the top side of each cookie in the cinnamon-sugar and place on ungreased cookie sheets.  Bake for 10 or until slightly browned.

A fabulous and creative Our Lady of Guadalupe Tea can be  found at Alice's Cottage Blessings.  All the food served is made with the symbolism of the story in mind.  What a fun and educational approach.

Collect

O God of power and mercy.  You blessed the Americas at Tepeyac with the presence of the Virgin Mary of Guadalupe.  May her prayers help all men and women to accept each other as brothers and sisters.  Through Your justice present in our hearts, may Your peace reign in the world.  We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your son who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit.  One God for ever and ever.  Amen.

Comments

[Dawn]

Mary, this is wonderful! I am printing this entire post out as I sit down to plan this week. Thank you for all the ideas and inspiration!

[Ruth]

Mary, This is an absolutely incredible post. It is so thorough. Since I am Hispanic, our family celebrates this feast in a big way, and you have covered it all!!! Thank you so much and have a blessed feast.

[Mary Ellen Barrett]

Absolutely one of the best posts we;ve had! Thank you so much for your hard work and sharing your wonderful ideas and wisdom!