Tours Peregrinos Mexico: The specialist in authentic Guided Catholic Pilgrimages in Mexico

Traditions and Festivities

Tours Peregrinos Mexico invite you to take a unique opportunity to come & experience some truly unforgettable experiences by joining us on one of our incredible pilgrimages. Meet the most charming & humble locals and bear witness to Mexico’s picturesque landscapes as we journey to take part in the many celebrations and festivities held throughout the different cities of this amazingly colorful country.

COME WITH US TO DISCOVER & EXPERIENCE INCREDIBLE TRADITIONS & FESTIVITIES FIRSTHAND

 

DECEMBER 12TH – LAS MAÑANITAS – HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO OUR LADY THE VIRGIN OF GUADALUPE

Every year on the 12th December, Mexico celebrates the day of our Lady of Guadalupe with many faithful Catholics taking a pilgrimage to show their devotion & faith to the Virgin of Guadalupe.

Allow us to guide and lead you by the hand to the Church of the Sagrada Familia, through the Museum of the Jesuit Priest Father Pro, the Zocalo (main plaza) and the beautiful Historical Center, where some of the most exemplary & representative jewels of Catholic Architecture can be seen.

We then travel to Tlaxcala and Puebla to get to know some of the most popular places to visit for Catholic Pilgrims; a journey which is sure to delight you while aiding you to go further into your spiritual journey.

December 12th is a very important date for the Mexican people: historians have written about the Apparitions of Our Lady to Juan Diego and since then, thousands of pilgrims have come to pay tribute to the Virgin of Guadalupe year after year to show their devotion and give gratitude for the favors and miracles they have received through her arbitration. The crowd come together to sing “Las Mañanitas” whilst groups of dancers put on a beautiful recital in Our Lady’s honor; thousands of Catholic pilgrims joining in with this wonderful celebration. Come and be a part of it with us! Get in touch now to enquire about our packages!

 

12th DECEMBER - THE FESTIVITIES OF OUR LADY THE VIRGIN OF GUADALUPE

As discussed previously, December 12th is a very important date marking the Apparitions of Our Lady to Juan Diego. Since then, thousands of pilgrims have come to pay tribute to the Virgin of Guadalupe year after year, showing their devotion and loving gratitude for the blessings and miracles they have received through her arbitration.

After a beautiful recital of “Las Mañanitas” in honor of Our Lady the night before, hundreds of thousands of Catholic pilgrims join together in this great and beautiful celebration around the Basilica of Guadalupe where on December 12th, the “Virgen Morena” is celebrated. Millions of pilgrims flock to express their love for the Guadalupana with a full-out celebration of faith, devotion, and immense gratitude for Our Mother Santa Maria de Guadalupe.

The Basilica of Guadalupe is the second most visited Shrine in the world (after the Vatican itself) and on this very special day there are dancers and wonderful live music for the thousands of faithful pilgrims that stand united for the celebration of the Mass of the Roses at 12 noon.

Come and be a part of it with us! Fill out our contact form to enquire about our packages!

 

6TH JANUARY: THE DAY OF THE THREE WISE KINGS

Epiphany, also known as the Day of three wise kings (Día de los Santos Reyes), is celebrated on January 6 in remembrance of the biblical story of the three kings’ visit to the infant Jesus to honor him as King, bearing gifts of deep spiritual symbolism, such as the gold symbol of kingship and wisdom, myrrh the symbol of suffering, as well as incense and aromatic resins; symbols of prayer & peace.

Pilgrims from all over the world flock to the religious centers to remember this special day that marks the visit of 3 Kings. At night it is customary to cut the Bread of Kings (Rosca de Los Reyes); a bread which symbolizes the king's crown, with fruits representing the jewels within the crown. Baked into the bread, there are small figurines of babies (to symbolize the baby Jesus) and it is customary that the person(s) who find these figurines in their slice receive the blessing of the Baby Jesus. Traditionally, the finder will also bear host to the Candlemas on February 2nd.

 

2 FEBRUARY: CANDLEMAS DAY (Día de la Candelaria)

In Mexico, this holiday is celebrated as Día de la Candelaria known as Candlemas Day in English. Formerly this was known as the Feast of the Purification of Mary, since this was the day Mary was presented in the temple for purification, 40 days after she gave birth.

In Mexico, Día de la Candelaria is a follow-on to the festivities of the Day of the three wise Kings (January 6th). When the day draws to a close, many Mexican households mix the Catholic tradition along with the pre-Columbian custom of preparing "Tamales" to celebrate. As mentioned previously, it is custom for the people who found the figurines of the baby(ies) in the King’s Bread to be in charge of making the tamales and often hosting other guests.

 

APRIL: HOLY WEEK (Semana Santa)

Holy Week in Mexico begins with Ash Wednesday; for Catholics it marks the preparation of the 40 days before Easter in which personal sacrifices (like not eating meat on Fridays) are made along with praying and giving penance as a sign of humility to commemorate the passion & sacrifice surrounding the death of Jesus Christ for his people.

Throughout Mexico, people make touching & heartfelt pilgrimages re-enacting the Journey of the Cross, the Crucifixion of Christ & the Procession of Silence. The pilgrims make vows of silence, penance & prayer in places like Taxco, Guanajuato, Querétaro and Zacatecas among others. These pilgrimages are usually very busy and one can feel the passion, faith & emotion that comes out when pilgrims portray the final sufferings of Jesus Christ, more often than not, bringing the pain he felt to life.

 

OCTOBER: PILGRIMAGE OF ZAPOPAN AND SAN JUDAS TADEO

The Pilgrimage of Zapopan is celebrated in the state of Jalisco, where pilgrims go to give thanks to the Virgin of Zapopan (also known as Our Lady Of Expectation), who was proclaimed Patroness against storms and lightning in 1743, after saving the area from a series of natural disasters. This pilgrimage is considered the third most important in the country, after those of the Virgin of Guadalupe, and the Virgin of San Juan de los Lagos.

At dawn on October 12 of each year a procession of Catholics, pre-Columbian dancers, priests & seminarians carry a statue of the Virgin Mary from the Cathedral to the Basilica. The figure of the Virgin is accompanied by more than 1,000,000 people who come to take part & pay their respects as well as give thanks. The festival is brought to a finish with a mass held in the plaza outside the Basilica and finally ends with traditional dances and evening fireworks.

Later, on the 28th October, pilgrims come to venerate St. Jude Thaddeus; the Saint Patron of desperate causes. Pilgrims will often come to thank for miracles that have occurred in their lives or to ask & pray for help with matters of faith or difficult times they may be experiencing. The faithful come from all over the world and there are performances of a popular dance to honor & worship St. Jude Thaddeus. Celebrations include mass, mariachis and the carrying of images of the Saint in order to have them be blessed.

 

NOVEMBER: DAY OF THE DEAD

The Day of the Dead (Dia de los Muertos) is a celebration of Meso-American origin that honors the deceased. Celebrations are held over two days; The 1st November is generally for remembering & honouring children that have passed, whereas November 2nd is the day in which adults are remembered.

There is a belief that the souls of the departed come back on these two days every year to visit with their loved ones in the realm of the living. Each family prepare their homes with altars for this special occasion; often adorned with an offering of flowers, photos of the deceased & their passed relatives’ favorite foods, drinks and sweets that they enjoyed in life.

On this day in the center of Mexico City, hundreds of people attend to see the parade of Catrinas, where many wear intricate face make-up to imitate & honour Death; a tradition that has changed over many hundreds of the years into the heart-touching, fun & colourful festivity we now witness today - full of tradition and rich in cultural folklore.