Virgen de Guadalupe

Dec 12 of every year is celebrated on the eve of this day. It's the day that the Virgen of Guadalupe appeared to Juan Diego on his cloak in 1531. That was 478 years ago. This year is my first year to attend the midnight mass in her honor. I've always been curious to know what exactly this day meant to the Catholic community and why they would say it was my mother's "dia de su santo". Well, the history behind this is that the Virgen of Guadalupe appeared to this pheasant miraculously on his cloak after gathering flowers on her request to take back as a sign of what he had seen that early morning. My friends would tell me that my mother was a special woman having the name Lupe. Until this past Friday did I understand what they meant. The song goes to say 'ser Guadalupana es algo especial' ('being Guadalupan is something special'). My mother always believed in the powers and miracles of the Virgen. She would always tell me if you pray to her and promise something in return you have to hold your end of the promise. I have heard of stories where people walk on their knees to her shrines all over the world to fulfil their promises of taking her flowers on knees for answering there prayers.