Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe2026 · Date · History
Vatican sources identify 12 December as the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe.
About Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe
The Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe is a Catholic observance held on December 12, especially significant to worshippers in Mexico and across the Americas.
Pilgrimages, liturgies and cultural gatherings reflect devotion to Mary under the title Our Lady of Guadalupe. The feast is religious; civil holiday entitlements differ by jurisdiction.
Why Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe matters
Catholic communities associate the feast with devotion, prayer, service and belonging, particularly among people who have long gathered at the Guadalupe shrine.
Accounts of the 1531 apparitions to Juan Diego are central to religious tradition; they should be presented as matters of faith rather than independently verified historical events.
History of Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe
Catholic tradition places the apparitions at Tepeyac in 1531. The modern feast is observed on December 12.
A Holy See decree dated 28 June 2000 addresses the December 12 Guadalupe celebration throughout the Americas. This later decree is not evidence of the feast’s first celebration or original founding date.
How the observance developed
This timeline uses documented milestones from reviewed sources. Missing stages are left out rather than guessed.
Holy See (for the documented 2000 regional liturgical decree)
Holy See decree Prot. 803/99/L (regional celebration)
Catholic bishops, parishes and shrine communities
Liturgical and devotional participation is organized at multiple levels.
What the evidence establishes
Confirmed institutional roles and milestones are shown first. Details that could not be established from the reviewed sources are listed separately below.
4 fields not established in reviewed sources
Also known as
Guadalupe Day
How to Observe Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe
Attend a local Mass or organized procession if you wish to participate in the Catholic devotion.
Learn about the Guadalupe shrine and the lived traditions of pilgrims respectfully.
Donate to a trusted community service effort or help a local parish.
Follow official travel and crowd guidance around major pilgrimage sites.
Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe Facts
Annual liturgical date: December 12.
Key religious centre: Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Mexico City.
A Holy See decree in 2000 concerns celebration across the Americas.
A Catholic feast is not necessarily a statutory paid holiday everywhere.
Topic and context
What this page does not assume
- Keep the source-defined country, community, organizer or institutional scope; do not silently broaden it.
- Do not treat the title alone as proof of government recognition or public-holiday status.
- Do not add a creator, founding story or origin claim unless the supporting evidence establishes it.
- Faith Context Respect.
Evidence & sources
Sources used across the guide are gathered here. Labels show how each source supports the page, and contextual references are kept separate from primary evidence.
Holy See — decree on December 12 Guadalupe celebration in the Americas (opens in a new tab)
Vatican News — liturgical calendar December 12 (opens in a new tab)
Vatican News — Our Lady of Guadalupe and feast date (opens in a new tab)
Vatican News — Our Lady of Guadalupe (opens in a new tab)
Holy See
Understand it, compare it, then explore further
Start with the most common factual questions, then compare closely related observances and explore useful connections.
Frequently asked questions
When is Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe?
12 December The documented recurrence rule is: 12 December.
Does Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe fall on the same date every year?
Yes. It uses a fixed annual date unless stronger evidence changes the pattern.
Is Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe an official public holiday?
The reviewed sources verify it within this scope: Catholic Marian feast with especially strong significance in Mexico and the Americas. That recognition does not by itself make it a statutory public holiday; the site only makes public-holiday claims when reliable evidence explicitly does so.
Who established or recognizes Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe?
The reviewed sources identify Holy See (for the documented 2000 regional liturgical decree) as the proclaiming or establishing body. Current facilitation or coordination is recorded as Catholic bishops, parishes and shrine communities.
Is Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe international or country-specific?
No single country is assigned to this observance. Its documented scope is: Catholic Marian feast with especially strong significance in Mexico and the Americas. Use that scope rather than assuming worldwide or country-specific status.
How is this page verified?
The factual information is checked against reviewed sources, including the date pattern, scope and institutional history. This page was checked on 2026-10-08.
What date is Our Lady of Guadalupe celebrated?
December 12 each year in the relevant Catholic calendars.
Where is the devotion especially prominent?
Mexico and Catholic communities across the Americas.
What does the 1531 story represent?
It is the traditional account of apparitions to Juan Diego at Tepeyac.
Is it a public holiday throughout the Americas?
No. Religious observance and legal holiday schedules are separate.
Other observances on December 12
These observances are also listed on December 12, 2026.
International Day of Neutrality
A/RES/71/275
International Universal Health Coverage Day
A/RES/72/138
Jamhuri Day
Office of the President of the Republic of Kenya
Pa-Togan Nengminza Sangma
Government of Meghalaya