Virgin of Los Angeles Day 2023: Date, History, Facts, Activities

The Virgin of Los Angeles Day is annually observed in Costa Rica on August 2. Also known as Virgen de Los Angeles Day, this celebration honours the ‘Virgen de Los Angeles’ or ‘Lady of the Angels.’

Virgin of Los Angeles Day is one of the largest celebrations in Costa Rica, alongside Christmas and Easter, and is highly regarded by the locals.

The background of Virgin of Los Angeles Day

The Virgin of Los Angeles Day, also known as Virgen de Los Angeles Day, is the third largest celebration in Costa Rica after Christmas and Easter and a distinctly Costa Rican celebration.

As ‘La Negrita,’ also known as ‘Virgen de Los Angeles,’ is the patron saint of Costa Rica, the festivities are unique to Costa Rican culture and the people’s religious beliefs. The ‘Black Virgin’ or ‘La Negrita’ is a representation of the Virgin Mary as an indigenous or mixed-race individual. As with most representations, the statuette is diminutive, standing less than three feet tall, and it is accompanied by a narrative.

According to the legend, a Cartago peasant girl discovered a statue of the Virgin Mary carrying an infant Jesus on a boulder. She picked it up and brought it home, but the next day it had vanished. Supposedly, it reappeared on the rock. She brought it to a priest, who placed it in a box; however, the statue vanished from the box and reappeared on the boulder.

A shrine was constructed around the statuette because the church that was being constructed for the statuette in a separate location was frequently struck by earthquakes. Later transformed into a basilica, the shrine is now known as the Basilica of Our Lady of the Angels.

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DAY OF THE VIRGIN OF LOS ANGELES ACTIVITIES

Make a pilgrimage.

On this day, both locals and tourists participate in travelling pilgrimages. Follow in the footsteps of the Costa Ricans and make a pilgrimage to the basilica.

Observe the festivities

Visit Cartago and observe how the natives celebrate, even if you do not wish to join in. Appreciate the local culture and the manifestation of Costa Rican beliefs.

Take a drink from the stream.

A nearby watercourse is believed to possess curative properties. To be healed, you can go to the stream and imbibe from it.

5 FACTS YOU Probably Didn’t Know About the Virgin of Los Angeles Day

Approximately two million locals and tourists visited the basilica on Virgin of Los Angeles Day.

Locally, the annual pilgrimage is known as ‘romeria.’

The pilgrimage route circumnavigates the boulder where La Negrita was discovered so that pilgrims can drink from the stream.

On the day of the festivity, the basilica is accessible for prayer throughout the day.

People demonstrate their religiosity by kneeling or crawling the last few miles.

VIRGIN OF LOS ANGELES DAY DATES