Banuet, Haziel (Week Three)

 As a Latina and California raised woman, the Virgin of Guadalupe is a figure very familiar to me, yet was not a figure that was present in my parents house rather in my grandma’s house. In my grandma’s house the Virgin was plastered on the walls of her living room, bedroom, and even the bathroom. Growing up I never understood the significance of the Virgin in our culture or what she meant to my grandmother personally.

One significant memory I have of the Virgin was when I went to Guadalajara with my grandma and aunt for the festival to celebrate the Virgin. But at the time I didn’t know it was Virgin that was being honored, I simple though we were going to a festival. Another thing that i didn't know was that the Virgin that was being celebrated was La Virgen de Zapopan. To this day I don't know who she represents... At that age I had no clue who the Virgin was, but due to all the festive voices, I knew she was someone important to the people.

Because I grew up in a Christian household, the Virgin was never in the house of my parents, even though my grandma was a strong believer. I only knew of her, but not about who she was or what she signified in Latin/Hispanic culture. All I knew was the bare minimum, which was she was the mother of Jesus and in the in certain sectors of Catholicism they worshiped her. It wasn’t until I entered into community college when I learned more about who she is and signified. But even then, we learned about her in a more academic perspective, rather than a cultural one. I know that in some Latin and/or Hispanic households she represents fertility, but I am still unsure where this ideology comes from...