Classic · December 12
Our Lady of Guadalupe: roses for December 12
Every December 12 millions of people bring roses to the Basilica of Guadalupe in Mexico City. The tradition comes from a story from 1531 in which the roses are the proof of the miracle.
- When
- December 12celebrations begin on the night of the 11th
- Where
- Mexicoand Mexican communities all over the world
- What to bring
- Rosesto the Basilica or the home altar
- Why
- The roses of Tepeyacaccording to tradition, in 1531
The story of the roses of Tepeyac
Catholic tradition says that between December 9 and 12, 1531 the Virgin appeared several times to Juan Diego, an Indigenous man who lived near Tepeyac hill, north of today’s Mexico City. She asked him to go to the bishop, Friar Juan de Zumárraga, so that he would build a church on that spot. The bishop didn’t believe him and asked for a sign.
On December 12, the Virgin told Juan Diego to climb to the top of the hill and gather flowers. There, on barren ground and in the middle of winter, he found Castilian roses: flowers that weren’t from the region and don’t bloom in central Mexico in December. He gathered them in his tilma, the cotton cloak he wore, and took them to the bishop. When he opened it, the roses fell to the ground and the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe appeared on the cloth, the same image venerated today in the Basilica.
That’s why roses aren’t just any decoration on this date: in the story they are the proof of the miracle. Bringing roses to the Virgin on December 12 is, for millions of people, repeating Juan Diego’s gesture.
| Date | What is celebrated and why | Flower | Color | Where |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| every year | Our Lady of Guadalupe According to tradition, in 1531 Juan Diego carried roses from Tepeyac hill in his cloak (tilma), in the middle of December. That is why every December 12 millions of people bring roses to the Basilica. | Roses | Red | Mexico |
How December 12 is celebrated
The celebration begins on the night of December 11. At midnight las mañanitas (a traditional birthday song) are sung to the Virgin at the Basilica of Guadalupe and in parishes across the country, often with mariachis. For days pilgrims arrive on foot, by bicycle or in organized groups from every state; many carry images of the Virgin and bunches of roses. In 2025, according to the Mexico City Government, some 13 million pilgrims came to the Basilica, one of the largest religious gatherings in the world.
Outside the capital, almost every neighborhood and village holds masses, processions, dances and decorated altars. And many homes set up a small altar with an image of the Virgin, candles and flowers, almost always roses.
Which flowers to bring to Our Lady of Guadalupe
- Roses: they are the flower of the day. Red ones are the most common, but any color will do; what matters is the gesture.
- A bouquet that’s easy to carry: if you’re going on pilgrimage, a medium-sized bouquet is best, with the stems wrapped in damp paper and plastic so it lasts hours on the road.
- For the home altar: roses in a vase with clean water and, if you like, a poinsettia, which is everywhere at that time of year and is the other great Mexican flower of December.
If you want to know what each color says, see the rose page and the meaning of flower colors.
Tips for buying the roses
December is a month of high demand in Mexico: between Poinsettia Day (December 8), Our Lady of Guadalupe (the 12th) and Christmas, roses go up in price and the showiest bouquets sell out in the markets near the Basilica. Buy a day or two ahead and keep the roses somewhere cool, with the stems freshly cut at an angle. If you’re taking them on the pilgrimage, choose roses with the bud still somewhat closed: they’ll open on the way and arrive at their best.
And if you can’t go to the Basilica, a single rose on your home altar or at your local parish carries the same meaning.
One date in a month full of flowers
Our Lady of Guadalupe caps a very floral December in Mexico: on the 8th comes National Poinsettia Day, for the Mexican flower that went around the world as the Christmas flower, and then come the posadas and Christmas, with their centerpieces. You’ll find all the month’s dates on the December flowers page and the rest of the year’s in the dates for giving flowers in Mexico.
Although the devotion is above all Mexican, Our Lady of Guadalupe is the patron saint of all the Americas, and December 12 is also celebrated with roses in Mexican and Latin American communities in the United States and other countries.
Remind me 3 days before
Download the reminder and open it with your phone’s calendar: it repeats every year and alerts you three days before, so you have time to order the bouquet.
Frequently asked questions
Why are roses taken to Our Lady of Guadalupe?
Because, according to tradition, in December 1531 the Virgin asked Juan Diego to gather flowers at the top of Tepeyac hill. There he found Castilian roses, which don’t bloom at that time of year and weren’t native to the area, and he carried them in his cloak (tilma) to the bishop as proof of the apparitions.
When is the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe?
On December 12. The celebrations begin on the night of the 11th, with thousands of people singing las mañanitas to the Virgin at the Basilica and in parishes throughout Mexico.
Which flowers are brought to Our Lady of Guadalupe?
Above all roses, because of Juan Diego’s story. On home altars they are often combined with other seasonal flowers, such as the poinsettia, which in Mexico is celebrated on December 8.
How many people visit the Basilica on December 12?
In 2025, the Mexico City Government recorded some 13 million pilgrims around December 12, according to Infobae.
Who was Juan Diego?
An Indigenous man to whom, according to Catholic tradition, Our Lady of Guadalupe appeared on Tepeyac hill in 1531. He was canonized in 2002 and his feast day is December 9.
