Virgen De La Candelaria

Virgin of Candelaria
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|Virgin of Candelaria |
|[pic] |
|Virgin of Candelaria, Saint Patron of the Canary Islands.[1] |
|Honored in |Roman Catholic Church ||Majorshrine |Basilica of Candelaria (Basílica de Nuestra Señora de la |
| |Candelaria), Tenerife (Spain) |
|Feast |August 14–15 (on Tenerife and the Canary Islands)[2] and on |
| |2 February (also on this day in Tenerife, although minor |
| |festival). ||Attributes |dark skin; baby in her right hand and a candle in her left |
| |hand |
|Patronage |Canary Islands as well as Tenerife; Oruro andLa |
| |Paz (Bolivia) ,Medellín (Colombia), Puno(Peru), |
| |and Mayagüez (Puerto Rico)|


The cult of the Virgin of Candelaria or Our Lady of Candelaria (Virgen de Candelaria, Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria), popularly called La Morenita, celebrates an apparition of the Virgin Mary on the island of Tenerife, one of the Canary Islands (Spain). The center of worship is located in the city of Candelaria in Tenerife. She is depicted as a Black Madonna. Its main templeand Royal Basilica Marian Shrine of Our Lady of Candelaria (Basilica of Candelaria), is considered the main church dedicated to the Virgin Mary in the Canary Islands.[3] She is the patron saint of the Canary Islands.[1] Her feast is celebrated on February 2 (Candlemas) and August 15, this patronal feast on Canary Islands.

|Contents ||  [hide]  |
|1 Legend and appearance |
|2 Veneration |
|3 Sanctuary |
|3.1 Basilica of Candelaria |
|3.2 Cueva de Achbinico|
|4 The strange letters in the original carving of the Virgin |
|5 Syncretism |
|6 Gallery |
|7 See also |
|8 References|
|9 External links |


[edit]Legend and appearance

According to a legend recorded by Alonso de Espinosa in 1594, a statue of the Virgin Mary, bearing a child in one hand and a green candle in the other (hence "Candelaria"), was discovered on the beach of Chimisay (Güímar) by two Guanche goatherds in1392.[4] This occurred before the Castilian conquest of the island (the island was not fully conquered until 1496).

One of the shepherds tried to throw a stone at the statue, but his arm became paralyzed; the other tried to stab the statue with a knife but ended up stabbing himself.[1][4] The statue was taken by the local Guanche mencey, Acaymo, to the cueva de Chinguaro.

Later, was recognized byAntón, a Guanche who had been enslaved and converted to Christianity by the Castilians, as the Virgin Mary when he returned to Tenerife. He told the mencey of his conversion and the statue was thus venerated by the Guanches, who translated the statue to the cave of Achbinico (also known as San Blas - "Saint Blaise").[1]However, the statue was stolen and taken away to Lanzarote. It was brought...