Week Five: Virgin of Guadalupe.

 Growing up in a traditional Mexican background, I don’t think I’ve never not known of the Virgin of Guadalupe. I may not be deep within catholic religion or know much about the biblical specifics, but generally speaking, I know who the Virgin of Guadalupe is. I know that every year they celebrate her (I’m unsure why because I don’t know too many specifics). I grew up in Northeast LA and up until this day,  I know that they do this tradition in which they crown her and they have an entire parade in which the community gets together to celebrate her. The church near my house, divine savior, puts the entire thing together, and roads are even closed for this special event. Not only that, but I also saw various portraits of her all over my neighborhood and the places my family and I would visit. Many people even have images or candles with her image on it; not just in their homes, but in their small businesses too.

I also know that the Virgin of Guadalupe is both a symbol of motherhood and hope. She is a divine figure known for her purity and is often portrayed as wise and morally right. I say this because they even have an entire show inspired by the Virgin of Guadalupe. The series consists of many different kinds of episodes that highlight poor behavior in order to achieve some sort of moral lesson. It’s evident what is right and wrong in the show from the beginning. I bring this up because the end of each episode usually follows the characters realizing their mistakes, or something miraculous happening. The audience can assume that it has to do with the Virgin of Guadalupe because a white rose appears (symbolizing her presence). Once the issue is resolved, the rose disappears. Growing up with this show, knowing little of its biblical background, I could assume that the Virgin of Guadalupe stood for all that is good, and most importantly the idea of hope.