The image of Our Lady of Guadalupe is one of the most recognizable in the world. She is affectionately called “la Morenita,” and every December 12, millions of people celebrate her in Mexico, throughout the Americas, and also in Spain. But almost everything about her has a meaning: the color of her mantle, the stars, the moon, a small flower on her womb. We’ll tell you what each detail means so that the next time you look at her, you’ll see her with new eyes.
Khartes Medals
Our Lady of Guadalupe, on our medals
St. Jude Thaddeus and Our Lady of Guadalupe Medal with Lapis Lazuli€65I want it
St. Jude Thaddeus and Our Lady of Guadalupe Medal with Amethyst€65I want it
St. Jude Thaddeus and Our Lady of Guadalupe Medal with Ruby€69I want it
Handcrafted in Spain · Free shipping on orders over €65
The Story in Brief
According to tradition, in December 1531, the Virgin appeared several times to Juan Diego, a recently baptized indigenous man, on the hill of Tepeyac, near present-day Mexico City. She asked him to go and see the bishop so that a temple could be built there. When the bishop asked for a sign, the Virgin told Juan Diego to gather flowers at the top of the hill in the middle of winter. He carried them in his tilma (a type of cloak), and when he opened it before the bishop, the flowers fell out and the image appeared painted on the fabric. That tilma is still preserved today in the Basilica of Guadalupe, one of the most visited Marian shrines in the world. We tell you more about it in the story of Our Lady of Guadalupe and her feast.
What Each Detail Means
Her Brown Face
The Virgin appears with brown skin and mixed-race features. For the indigenous people of the time, this was a very clear message: she was one of them. That is where the name “la Morenita” comes from.
Her Joined Hands and Tilted Head
She is not on a throne or looking down from above: she is praying. Her hands are joined and her head is slightly tilted in a gesture of humility and prayer.
The Black Sash Around Her Waist
She wears a dark sash tied around her womb. In Mexica culture, pregnant women tied their clothing this way, which is why it is interpreted as a sign that she is expecting Jesus. That is why many mothers invoke her during pregnancy.
The Four-Petaled Flower
On her womb, just below the sash, is a small four-petaled flower. Many scholars associate it with an indigenous symbol representing wholeness and the center of the world. It is placed precisely where the Child is.
The Blue-Green Mantle Covered in Stars
Blue-green was a color reserved for gods and emperors. The stars covering it speak of a woman who comes from heaven; some researchers even claim that their arrangement matches the sky on that winter night in 1531.
The Pink Tunic with Flowers
Her dress is embroidered with flowers and golden motifs. It recalls the flowers Juan Diego gathered at Tepeyac and the earth, contrasting with the sky of her mantle.
The Sunbeams
Golden rays shine behind her. The Virgin covers the sun, which was one of the great Mexica deities: the message is that she is greater than it, but she is not a goddess because she is praying.
The Moon Beneath Her Feet
She stands on a black moon, like the woman in Revelation “clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet.” It is usually interpreted as the victory of light over darkness.
The Angel
At her feet, an angel with colorful wings holds her mantle in one hand and her dress in the other. He is the one who “brings” her to us.
The Brooch with the Cross
She wears a small brooch with a cross at her neck. It is the only explicitly Christian symbol in the image and unites everything that came before with her Son.
How the Feast is Celebrated on December 12
- Las mañanitas: on the night of December 11, at midnight, she is sung las mañanitas, just as you would sing to a mother on her birthday.
- The pilgrimage: millions of people walk to the Basilica in the days leading up to the feast, many for several days.
- The flowers: roses, especially, in memory of the flowers Juan Diego gathered.
- In Spain there are also Masses and celebrations by the Mexican community, and the feast coincides with that of our own Our Lady of Guadalupe de Extremadura, who gave her the name.
Our Lady of Guadalupe and St. Jude Together
In Mexico, Our Lady of Guadalupe and St. Jude Thaddeus are the two great popular devotions, and many people honor both. That is why our St. Jude medals are double-sided: the saint on the front and la Morenita on the back. We explain why in St. Jude Thaddeus and Our Lady of Guadalupe: The Story of a Shared Devotion.
Our Our Lady of Guadalupe Medals
We designed them, Marian and Bárbara, and make them by hand in Spain, piece by piece. Each one is 18K gold-plated and features natural pearls, stones, or hand-applied enamel, so no two are alike. They arrive with a 40 + 5 cm chain, gift-wrapped and within 24–72 hours. You won’t find these medals in any other store. View them all in the St. Jude Thaddeus and Our Lady of Guadalupe medal collection.
- In the colors of her mantle: the amazonite one, in that blue-green color.
- The blue of the Virgin: the lapis lazuli one or the blue enamel and natural pearl one.
- Like her roses: the ruby one.
- Cheerful and Mexican: the multicolor one or the mustard enamel and pearl one.
If you want it for December 12, order it before the 9th and it will arrive in time.
The most beautiful medals in the world are at www.khartesmadrid.com. Follow us on Instagram: @khartesmadrid.