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Festival of the Virgin of Guadalupe

La Guadalupana, the festival celebrating the Virgin of Guadalupe, is second only to the celebration of the Day of the Dead in importance and pageantry in Mexico. Occurring the first twelve days of December, it is a colorful and joyful spectacle perfect for those interested in real cultural experiences, real photographic opportunities and a perfect family oriented vacation.

Mexico's Patroness is celebrated across Mexico in the plazas of villages and cities where ever a church large or small bears the name of the Virgin. From the enormous main zocolo in front of the Cathedral of Guadalupe in Mexico City to the tiny plaza in the mountain village of San Cristobal de Las Casas in Chiapis and dozens of towns in between, one can observe the approach of barefoot torch bearers and the procession of pilgrims. But, no where is the pageantry of Guadalupana more impressive and community-wide than in the charming beach town of Puerto Vallarta. This, too, is probably the most accessible site for tourists, especially families, to experience the event, as Puerto Vallarta has an international airport, yet the size of the town makes it easier to negotiate than cities like Mexico and Guadalajara.

According to Mexican tradition, a dark skin virgin appeared to the peasant Juan Diego on December 12th in the year 1531, with the message that a church should be named in her honor. She is known as Our Lady of Guadalupe. The festival is a time for pilgrims to bring gifts and prayers to the Virgin. It is not an event staged for tourist, but a very important spiritual and cultural exercise for the people of Mexico. However, like most things they do the Mexican people celebrate their Virgin with a spirit of joy, outrageous color, music, fireworks and generosity of spirit. It is acceptable for visitors to join in and photograph the festivities, while respect of the event and participants should be mind.

In Puerto Vallarta the celebration of the Virgin brings processions, small and large, to the Church of Our Lady of Guadalupe adjacent to the main Plaza in the central district of Puerto Vallarta. These processions fill the streets around the plaza and the church with color, music and the festive spirit of the pilgrims waiting their turn to enter the Church to make their offering to the Virgin of Guadalupe.
Processions are organized by pilgrims with a connection to each other; family, neighborhood, church, school, class, union, club, workplace, favorite cantina

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