BRIDGEVILLE, Del. - The Hispanic community in Bridgeville gathered Thursday night to honor and celebrate Our Lady of Guadalupe or Virgin of Guadalupe.
Held each year on Dec. 12, the celebration commemorates the Virgin Mary's appearance to Juan Diego, a Mexican peasant, on a hilltop in Mexico City in 1531.
Attendees at the event.
Carlos Morales, who attended the celebration, shared the importance of keeping these traditions alive for future generations. "It means a lot because we pass over the traditions to the kids born here because we learned all these traditions in Mexico since we were little," he said.
The gathering featured not only a rosary and Mass but also traditional music and dancing.
Dancers at the event.
"Our Virgen de Guadalupe is always protecting us wherever we go, and so, it's just our tradition, and it's just something that we do to dedicate to her," said Lizzy Arellano, a dancer participating in the event.
This year marked the 493rd anniversary of the storied appearance of the Virgin of Guadalupe.
