Our Lady of Aparecida Day honors Nossa Senhora Aparecida, the patron saint of Brazil. The day commemorates the 1717 discovery of a small clay statue of the Virgin Mary by fishermen in the Paraíba River, which became a symbol of hope and faith. Over centuries, devotion to Our Lady of Aparecida grew into one of Brazil’s most cherished traditions. Millions of pilgrims visit the Basilica of the National Shrine of Aparecida, one of the largest churches in the world, to pay tribute.

The Day of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico honors Our Lady of Guadalupe, the patron saint of Mexico and a powerful symbol of faith, identity and national unity. The day commemorates the appearance of the Virgin Mary to Juan Diego, an Indigenous man, on Tepeyac Hill in 1531. According to tradition, Mary spoke to him in Nahuatl, his native language, and asked that a church be built in her honor. The miraculous image of the Virgin imprinted on his cloak became a revered relic.