Poste on August 2, 2017
I 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!
In 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.
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.
There are also fairs and prayers and of course special foods! |
| Costa Rica is one of the nations of Central America. |
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| Costa Rica has lovely beach on its Caribbean Coast (above)... and on its Pacific Coast (below). |
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| Costa Rica is also known for its gorgeous rainforests and wildlife! |
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