August 2 – Virgin of Los Angeles Day in Costa Rica

nPoste on August 2, 2017

n

nI have always lived in Southern California, so “Los Angeles” looks like “the big city” – L.A. – to me. But of course, it means “the angels” and is a part of many place names other than the City of the Angels with its freeways and Hollywood and Dodger baseball!

n

nIn this case, “the Virgin of Los Angeles” refers to the Virgin Mary, a very important figure in Catholicism. This Costa Rican holiday is based on a legend about a girl finding a small statue of Mary on a particular rock, out in the middle of nowhere, on August 2. The girl took the statue home, but, according to the legend, the statute magically disappeared from her home reappeared on the same rock. After the same thing happened several times – even when a priest locked up the statue – the townspeople decided that they were supposed to build a church on that rock.

n

See also  November 10 - Heroes Day in Indonesia

Today many devout Costa Ricans celebrate with a pilgrimage to that church. Most people walk there, but some crawl on their hands and feet and others ride horses or bulls to the church.

n

nThere are also fairs and prayers and of course special foods!

n

n

n

n

n

n

n

nAlso on this date:

n

n

n

n

n

n

n

n

n

n

n

n

n

n

n

n

n

n

n

n

n

n

n

n

n

n

n

n

n

nIlinden and Day of the Republic in Macedonia
n

n

n

n

n

n

n

n

n

n

n

n

n

n

n

n

n

n

n

n

n

n
• nAugust holidays

  n

n

• nAugust birthdays

  n

n

• nHistorical anniversaries in August

  n

n

n

n

n

n
• nSeptember holidays

  n

n

• nSeptember birthdays

  n

n

• nHistorical anniversaries in September

  n

n

n