December 12th commemorates the day in 1531 when the Virgin of Guadalupe (an apparition of the Virgin Mary with dark skin and native features, rather than the traditional Caucasian look) appeared before Juan Diego, a poor Aztec field worker who had been converted and baptized with the Christian name of Juan Diego. The Virgin asked that a church be built on Tepeyac Hill – the hill on which the Basilica de Guadalupe now stands. The Archbishop wouldn’t believe Juan Diego unless he had a sign, and so legend says that as a sign of her will, the Virgin’s image miraculously imprinted on Juan Diego’s cloak, which according to tradition is the same one on display in the church today.
La Virgen de Guadalupe, also known as La Virgen Morena (the brown virgin), is the patron of Mexico and the Americas on account of her specifically appearing as a native rather than the Aryan looking Saints the Spanish preferred.
Enjoy this video in her honor.