Each year, Brazilians take it upon themselves to celebrate and pay tribute to the patroness of Brazil, Our Lady of Aparecida. This is a major religious observance for Catholics, who often make a journey to the Basilica of Our Lady of Aparecida on this day.
In this article, you’ll learn about the Our Lady of Aparecida apparition, one of her most famous miracles, and the most common traditions associated with this holiday.
At PortuguesePod101.com, we hope to make every aspect of your language-learning journey both and informative!
1. What is Our Lady of Aparecida Day?
On Our Lady of Aparecida Day, Brazil pays tribute to its patron saint, who is sometimes also referred to as the Virgin of Aparecida or the Lady of the Immaculate Conception.
But why is she considered such an important figure, and when did people start celebrated this holiday?
Our Lady of Aparecida Story
The image of the Saint was discovered in the present-day Paraíba River. Three fishermen were trying to fish to prepare a very important dinner. After many vain tries, they finally did catch something in their net—the image of the saint, without her head.
And the next time they let down their net? The fisherman caught her missing head. This event is often called the Our Lady of Aparecida apparition, and also explains why her name means “Appeared.” From this point on, many miracles were attributed to the patroness of Brazil, starting with the abundance of fish the fisherman caught afterwards.
The Saint stayed in Guaratinguetá with one of the fishermen, but with the increase in the number of followers, they had to build a prayer hall, afterwards a chapel, a church, and finally a basilica.
In 1928, the town around the church became the Aparecida municipality, and in 1930, Pope Pius XI proclaimed Our Lady Aparecida as Queen of Brazil and its patron. In the year 1980, Pope John Paul II consecrated the Basilica of Our Lady Aparecida as the largest Marian sanctuary in the world.
2. When Does Brazil Celebrate Our Lady of Aparecida Day?
Each year, Brazilians celebrate Our Lady of Aparecida Day on October 12.
3. Traditions & Celebrations
During the day of Our Lady, more than 150,000 of the faithful will visit the Saint, thank her for blessings, and fulfill promises. Some of the faithful organize themselves into groups to go to the basilica of Our Lady of Aparecida, performing religious pilgrimages called romarias. There are groups that go by foot or by horse, and travel long distances to the city of Aparecida, where the basilica is located. And, naturally, the Catholic churches perform many masses to honor the patron saint of Brazil.
The majority of Brazilians are followers of Catholicism. In homage to Our Lady of Aparecida, Brazil women are often called Maria Aparecida or Aparecida, and their nicknames might be Cida or Cidinha.
4. Attacks on the Image
The image of Our Lady has suffered a few attacks, such as one in 1978, when a young man knocked the image over. The pieces were gathered up and the image was restored after about two months of work. Today, a bulletproof dome protects the image.
5. Useful Vocabulary for Our Lady of Aparecida Day
Here’s the essential vocabulary you need to know for Our Lady of Aparecida Day in Brazil!
- Procissão — “Procession”
- Peregrinação — “Pilgrimage”
- Padroeira do Brasil — “Patroness of Brazil”
- Doze de outubro — “October 12”
- Consagração à Nossa Senhora Aparecida — “Consecration to Our Lady of Aparecida”
- Cavalgada — “Cavalcade”
- Caravana — “Caravan”
- Basílica de Nossa Senhora Aparecida — “Basilica of the National Shrine of Our Lady Aparecida”
- Missa — “Mass”
- Orar — “Pray”
- Dia de Nossa Senhora — “Our Lady of Aparecida Day”
- Nossa Senhora Aparecida — “Our Lady of Aparecida”
- Rainha do Brasil — “Queen of Brazil”
- Dia da Mãe de Jesus — “Day of the Mother of Jesus”
- Milagre — “Miracle”
- Santa — “Saint”
To hear each of these vocabulary words pronounced, alongside relevant images, check out the Our Lady of Aparecida Day vocabulary list on our website!
How PortuguesePod101 Can Help You Learn Brazilian Culture
We hope you enjoyed learning about Our Lady of Aparecida Day with us, and that you learned something new. Is there a patron of your country, or a highly regarded figure it celebrates? Let us know in the comments!
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