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December 12 is the feast of La Virgen de Guadalupe, Our Lady of Guadalupe.

 

In 1521 – Our Blessed Mother appeared to San Juan Diego on the Hill of Tepeyac, near Mexico City.

It is a marvelous story to tell children.

To prove that he had really seen Mary, when Juan Diego opened his cloak before Bishop Zumárraga on December 12, Castillian roses (which were out of season and not native to Mexico), fell to the floor, and on the fabric was the image of the Virgin of Guadalupe.

 

by Rick Ortega

So much of  Mexican folk art is vibrant, colourful, and beautiful in its simplicity.

Artist, Br. Mickey McGrath, OSFS captures this spirit in his work

 

I am thinking of resurrecting an old tradition when my grandchildren are no longer babies.

For years, a friend from Argentina hosted an Our Lady of Guadalupe party, gathering all the children around on the floor as he told the story every year. Right afterward, all the kids rushed to take turns hitting a Spanish style homemade Pinta stuffed with candy.

 

 

 

 

There are so many wonderful feast days in December that help kids deal with the long, waiting period of Advent.

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