December 12 is one of the most important days for Catholics who trace their roots to Mexico and Central America. This is not a commercial event, designed for tourists. This is the day when the Virgin, her complexion as brown as the American Indians, appeared before Indian peasant Juan Diego, in 1531, in the valley of Mexico City. The Virgin, among several miracles, made her image appear on the cloak of Juan Diego. The cloak is on display in the Basilica de Guadalupe today.

The Virgin, whether we accept her as real or symbolic, knitted pre-Hispanic Indian beliefs with the tenents of the Catholic religion. Nowhere is the devotion to the Virgin and of this day more apparent than in the heart of Los Angeles, in the historic plaza district, including La Placita church and Olvera Street. Thousands upon thousands of the faithful, including families, arrive throughout the afternoon and evening on December 11, and the celebration continues all through the night and throughout the next day.

There are traditions that mark this special day - roses offered up to the Virgin, by the many thousands, on her alter outside La Placita (the Virgin gave Juan Diego a bouquet of roses in the middle of autumn); special sweet drinks made with corn (champurrados) and tamales; bands, native dancers, and commemorative photographs of the faithful standing in front of statues of the Virgin. Open to everyone, the festival is overlooked by Los Angelenos from other cultures. Of course, around midnight, when I made some of the photos in this gallery, most locals and tourists were in bed.