The 12th of December is the feast day of the Virgin of Guadalupe and, with it, the saint of all Guadalupes, Lupes, and Lupitas. In Mexico, it is the biggest celebration of the year; in Spain, many families from Extremadura and many families with Mexican roots also celebrate it. If you have a Lupe nearby, this is her day.
A name born in Extremadura
Before crossing the Atlantic, Guadalupe was a river and a town in Cáceres, in the Sierra de las Villuercas. That is where the Royal Monastery of Guadalupe is located, a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1993, where the Virgin of Guadalupe, patroness of Extremadura, is venerated. Tradition says that her image was found by a shepherd in the 14th century.
And what does the name mean? The first part, “Guad,” comes from the Arabic wad, meaning “river,” as in Guadalquivir or Guadiana. The second part is a mystery: some link it to the Latin lapis (“river of stone”) and others to lux and speculum (“river mirror of light”). When the Virgin appeared at Tepeyac in 1531, the name that remained was the same: Guadalupe. Some argue that it hid a Nahuatl word, but there are no documents to prove it.
That is where the diminutives we all know come from: Lupe, Lupita, and, in some families, Guada.
How December 12th is celebrated
The most famous image is that of the Basilica of Guadalupe in Mexico City. Every year millions of pilgrims arrive: in 2025, around 13 million were expected, many on foot from their towns. At midnight, from December 11th to 12th, the crowd sings “Las Mañanitas”, the same song used in Mexico to wish someone a happy birthday. It is the Mexican way of saying “happy birthday” to the Virgin.
A few days earlier, on December 9th, Saint Juan Diego is celebrated, the indigenous man who saw the Virgin at Tepeyac. Pope John Paul II canonized him in the Basilica itself on July 31, 2002.
Ideas for wishing a Lupe a happy feast day
- Sing her Las Mañanitas. Even if it is via a WhatsApp voice message first thing in the morning: if she has Mexican roots, it will move her.
- A message with her story. Tell her where her name comes from, from the river in Extremadura to the hill of Tepeyac.
- A meal with something Mexican, or something from Extremadura if Lupe is from Cáceres or Badajoz.
- A keepsake that lasts. A medal of the Virgin of Guadalupe so she can always keep her name close.
Medals of the Virgin of Guadalupe for her feast day
Our Guadalupe medals are double-sided: on one side, the Virgin; on the other, Saint Jude Thaddeus, Mexico’s two greatest devotions. We explain why they go together in this article.
With lapis lazuli€65
With amethyst€65
With amazonite€69
With ruby€69
Blue enamel and pearl€69
Enamel and lapis lazuli€69
They are handmade in Spain, with the chain included and wrapped as a gift. You can see them all in our collection of Saint Jude Thaddeus and the Virgin of Guadalupe. If you want to know what each detail of her image means, you can find it in the symbols of the Virgin of Guadalupe.
What to give a Lupe
A medal is much more than a piece of jewelry: it is worn every day, close to the heart, and accompanies her through both good times and difficult ones. It is the best way to keep the Virgin close at all times, and a gift that is often passed down from mothers to daughters. For a Lupe, it also bears her name. Here are our ideas:
- For her feast day: the medal with lapis lazuli (€65), with the blue of the Morenita’s mantle.
- For a mother or grandmother: the medal with ruby (€69), a gift for life.
- For someone living far from Mexico: the medal with amazonite (€69), to carry a little piece of home around her neck.
- For someone going through a difficult time: the medal with amethyst (€65). On the back is Saint Jude Thaddeus, patron of difficult causes.
One tip: give it to her on December 12th itself, if possible with Las Mañanitas playing in the background.
Facts you can check
- The Royal Monastery of Guadalupe (Cáceres) has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1993, and its Virgin is the patroness of Extremadura. Source
- “Guad” comes from the Arabic wad, meaning “river”; the origin of “Lupe” is debated (lapis or lux and speculum), and the theory of a distorted Nahuatl word has no documentary support. Source
- For December 12th, 2025, around 13 million pilgrims were expected at the Basilica, and Las Mañanitas is sung at midnight from the 11th to the 12th. Source
- Pope John Paul II canonized Saint Juan Diego in the Basilica of Guadalupe on July 31, 2002. Source
- In 1945, on the 50th anniversary of her coronation, Pope Pius XII called her the “Empress of America and Queen of Mexico.” Source
To ensure the medal arrives before the 12th, order it a few days in advance. Happy feast day to all the Lupes!
Marian and Bárbara