The Traditions Behind Our Lady of Guadalupe

As a wife and a mother of four little ones, raising my own family and making our own traditions has been a very exciting and nerve-wracking experience all at once. My husband and I had to talk about what traditions we could incorporate from our own upbringings and what we wanted to do differently. It ranged anywhere from cheering on my husband’s football team (so I wouldn’t be left out during football season) all the way to Halloween: to celebrate or not to celebrate . . . We also knew there were more serious conversations we would need to have.

Gifts of our Faith

The center of our relationship and who we are as people is Jesus Christ—at least, that’s what we aim for. My husband and I met serving in ministry and grew a deeper appreciation and knowledge of our faith while forming our own relationships with the Lord. Now that we have our own family, we feel responsible and excited to echo how the faith was passed down to us to our children. We love the Lord, we love being Catholic, and we love what the Church generously offers us. The beauty of our faith is that we don’t have to “make things up” as we go. Traditions have been passed down from the Church fathers all the way to older generations of our very own relatives. 

She Reigns

I grew up in a predominantly Hispanic community in Los Angeles, California. Mass, praying the Rosary, the Saints, etc. were all part of the culture I was raised in. Don’t get me started on the devotions to Mary I witnessed growing up. Actually, it's too late. It seemed as if Mary was everywhere. In particular, the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe. She was on candles, shirts, rosary beads, posters, tattoos, and even on calendars that the local bakery gave away. Mama Mary was there. 

I knew that it was important to honor her and ask for her intercession. I knew that I was supposed to pick roses from our garden and walk them over to the statue inside the church hall during our school family Rosary nights. I knew that I was going to wake up earlier than usual on December 12th to sing Las Mañanitas to her with hundreds of people. I knew that she was a big deal in so many ways. I might not have known the “Why’s”—but it didn’t matter to me—I knew I could still celebrate with the traditions of my elders. Through her appearance on Tepeyac Hill and the miracle of her image on the tilma, Our Lady of Guadalupe brought conversion and hope to millions of people in Mexico. The faith that was passed down to me came from her. The Lord used His Mother to touch the hearts of many and draw them back to Him. And if you’re Hispanic, you’re taught to not mess with las mamas, especially la Mama de Jesus. We are to always pay honor and respect to our mothers.

“Am I not here, I, who am your Mother?”

Despite all these beautiful traditions, I didn’t begin to really form a relationship with Mary until I was in high school. I knew about her and how to honor her (feast days, Rosaries, etc.) but she was just a very important public figure until then. When I began to take ownership of my faith, I desired to be virtuous and courageous like Mary. I desired to be pure and holy and close to Jesus. I failed many times. Mary encouraged me when I felt worthless. She gave me courage when I lacked bravery and when I used my youth as an excuse to be lukewarm in my faith. I remember going through difficult times when I truly began to take my faith seriously—an indication that I was on the right track. I took a leap of faith and reached out to her. And then, just like she did with Saint Juan Diego, she reminded me that she was going to always be there for me, as my Mother. The words she spoke to him, she continually spoke to me in my heart: Am I not here with you, who am your Mother?  These “mini apparitions” in my life comforted me. 

I began to study the apparition of Our Lady of Guadalupe, with all the details and intricacies she possessed because I wanted to appreciate her in a more profound way. What I connected with was her mestiza appearance. She chose to appear as a beautiful combination of the natives of Mexico and the Spanish people that were there. Throughout my life, I’ve experienced this mix of cultures as I come from Mexican and Peruvian backgrounds but was living in the United States. I wanted to always be proud of my heritage and the traditions that came from it. La Virgen de Guadalupe was the prime example for me, a young Hispanic girl who wanted to love Jesus the best I could and get to Heaven. She was always available to me and continues to be to all people of the Americas as our Mother and our guide. At times, it may seem like strong traditions or devotions to her take away from reverence to our God. If anything, she only wants to lead us to Him. Find comfort in this sentiment of Saint Maximilian Kolbe: “Never be afraid of loving the Blessed Virgin too much. You can never love her more than Jesus did.”

Handing it On

How we celebrate Our Lady of Guadalupe will vary based on the traditions and customs that were passed on to us or that we will pass on to others. Whether we’re enjoying the danza de matachines as a form of prayer, singing the Mañanitas to our Mother on her feast day, gathering the nicest bouquet of roses, or simply retelling the story of her apparition of 1531, we should take some time to examine her role and presence in our lives and find new ways to dive into an even deeper devotion. Let us recall her role in spreading Christianity in the Americas and thank God for using her to convert millions of people in the Americas.

Tradition is a beautiful thing. Taking aspects of our faith that have been shared with us and handing them to others is truly a gift. As we look to pass on or create our own traditions, may we take some time to examine where they come from and their roots that can ultimately lead us into a deeper love for our God and His Church.