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Tuesday’s cool evening air was filled with the fragrance of a growing mountain of red, white and yellow roses and lit prayer candles that adorned the foot of a statue of La Virgen de Guadalupe outside Houston’s Our Lady of Guadalupe Church on the East End.

The church is the gathering spot for devout Houstonians and visitors who wish to honor the Catholic figure many know as La Guadalupana, who represents the Virgin Mary.

Every year starting on Dec. 11 and running through Dec. 12, thousands of people, mostly families, line up along Navigation Boulevard to attend the Fiesta de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe, bringing with them flowers and candles as offerings.

“I grew up Catholic, but when I was in high school I separated from religion,” said Lucero Alfaro, 24, after dropping her offering of roses at the base of the statue and taking a few minutes to pray in silence.

“This year, I don’t know why, I felt like bringing her flowers and praying for the situation, for what’s happening in Palestine,” Alfaro added, speaking in Spanish.

Many Catholic churches hold special events or a mass in her honor, but since La Guadalupana is the namesake of Our Lady of Guadalupe Church, the event attracts parishioners and visitors from all over the region.

Some join processions from their home churches, walking long distances and carrying heavy statues along the way toward the church on Navigation. Some even crawl on their knees – as a sign of gratitude and devotion.

Others started their day on Tuesday by attending a 5 a.m. mass where they sang Las Mañanitas – a traditional Mexican birthday song – and dedicated it to her.

The celebration has grown over the years to include vendors along the Navigation’s main esplanade, along with music and processions coming from other area churches.

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Origins of the celebration

The tradition of honoring the Virgin of Guadalupe originated in Mexico City, where the virgin is believed to have made her first appearance to an indigenous man named Juan Diego at the hill of Tepeyac in 1531, asking him to take her message to the church that a shrine should be built in her honor at that site.

Flowers mark this occasion as it is believed the virgin made flowers bloom in the middle of winter so that Juan Diego could prove to the archbishop that the message was real. This last appearance is believed to have occurred on Dec. 12.

Matachines, or traditional Aztec dancers, are also a key element of the commemoration of this origin story, and they offer dances and a ceremony in her honor inside and outside churches.

Today, the hill of Tepeyac is home to the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe, which holds the largest celebration of this day and is visited by an estimated 20,000 people annually, according to the Vatican.

“It’s a tradition,” said Adriana Montenegro, 40, as she contemplated the growing pile of flowers that adorned the outdoor statue and listened to the ankle bells worn by Aztec dancers in the distance and the drums accompanying their movements.

“I brought flowers and candles to give her thanks, and also to ask for her to help us,” Montenegro said. “My daughter was having epilepsy issues… I’m here to thank her because [my daughter] has not had any more episodes. But I’m also asking for help for my son. He is 6 years old, but he can’t speak well, he’s struggling.”

Montenegro moved from Tamaulipas, Mexico, more than 20 years ago. She recalls being taken to the annual honoring of the Virgin of Guadalupe every year as a child growing up in Mexico. Now, she gets to take her own children to this celebration in Houston and has made it into an annual tradition.

No advertising needed

In Houston, this is a celebration that requires no advertising, as people have built it into their annual holidays for many years, said Daniel Hinojosa, who was tapped by the East End District about eight years ago to help coordinate the vendor side of the event.

Each year, Hinojosa say they expect between 20,000 to 30,000 people to visit the church and celebration that takes place along the Navigation esplanade, which is traditionally lined with dozens of vendors selling flowers for the offerings, food, portraits of the virgin, religious artifacts and more.

“It’s important to continue offering these traditions in an ever-changing world,” Hinojosa said. “Just for a moment you can forget about all of it and enjoy practicing your faith, and the sights and sounds of our culture.”

The Bonilla family started selling their goods at the event about 12 years ago. They prepare at least three months in advance and secure the first spot along the Navigation esplanade to sell their fresh fruit, nachos, corn and more. This year they prepared for at least 1,000 customers each day, and they nearly sold out both days.

“We already have families that know us… they just know we’ll be here and show up to see us,” said Cilia Bonilla, who is a second generation vendor and was accompanied that night by her mother, siblings and her own kids.

What attracts the Bonilla family to this particular event is the positivity that surrounds it, Bonilla said.

“It’s about our beliefs, about what our parents, our grandparents, our great grandparents taught us,” she said. “This feels like a little piece of Mexico, because you can even smell the traditional foods of Mexico as you walk around.”

Hola! My name is Danya Pérez, one of Abdelraoufsinno’s diverse communities reporters. I cover Latino/Hispanic communities here, including those who are mixed race or mixed status. ¡También soy México-Americana y hablo español! ¿Qué notas te gustaría leer? What topics or stories would you like to see me cover? Email me your ideas at [email protected]

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