Lady Candelaria – Patron Saint of the Canary Islands

La Candelaria is a popular place for locals and visitors to the Island. Whoever enters into this small, quiet part of Tenerife, will immediately notice the sacred presence and respect from everyone that enters and leaves.

Who is this lady and how does she dominate such respect? Let me take you through some legendary myths and give you some background into how this holy person holds a special place in many hearts and continues to be worshipped.

Peaceful and Holy Town of Lady Candelaria

Legend 

It is recorded by Alonso de Espinosa in 1594, a statue of the Virgin Mary, bearing a child in one hand and a green candle in the other, was discovered on the beach in Guimar by two Guanche shepherds in 1392. One of the shepherds tried to throw a stone at the statue but his arm became paralysed, The other tried to stab the statue with a knife but ended up stabbing himself. From here, the statue was taken by a local Guanche Acaymo to (cueve de Chinguaro) a local cave in Tenerife.

Later, another Guanche named Anton returned to Tenerife and recognised the statue as of the Virgin Mary. The Guanches then move the statue to another cave known as San Blas but the statue was stolen and taken away to Lanzarote. The statue made it's way back to Tenerie after varioius events including an outbreak of the plague which occurred on Lanzarote.

Statues of the Guanches

Basilica of Our Lady of Candelaria

The basilica was destroyed by fire and rebuilt in the 19th century. It continues to stand proud and sacred in the town of Candelaria and attracts thousands of visitors each year. 


The statue of Lady Candelaria is a replica of the original which was lost when a tsunami carried it out to sea in 1826.  

The Virgin of Candelaria is widely prayed to for protection agaist epidemics, plagues, droughts and volcanic eruptions of Mount Teide and other volcanoes. Between 1964 and 1965, the Dioces of Tenerife conducted the largest pilgrimage in the history of the Canary Islands and the statue was walked across the towns, cities and municipalities for the first time.

Every seven years, the tradition is to transfer the statue between two cities of Santa Cruz and La Laguna where the statue will remain for that period of time.

Basilica of Candelaria

Celebration

Every year on 2nd February and 15th August, there is a celebration of Lady Candelaria where thousands of pilgrims and tourists arrive at Candelaria from all parts of the Canary Islands and some parts of Spain. It is a religious ceremony and a solemn procession but thereafter, locals dressing up, feasts and fiesta.

What draws me to this place? I honestly cannot say but I do know that it holds a special place in my heart. A kind of respect and comfort feel which I find that I am drawn too and think about a lot in times of needing some hope or a silent prayer. Whether the myth is true or not, Lady Candeleria brings peace, respect and unity to many people, so this has to be a worthy acceptance of joy.

My first visit to Candelaria in 2006 was an exciting opportunity where I was interested in the tale behind the legend. Walking around the magnificent Basilica and taking in the sheer beauty of the building was a lovely experience and a very happy day for me. Walking to the area of where the cave was situated, behind the Basilica was an interesting journey to make the myth more believable. It was certainly a day that I will never forget.

Lady Candelaria and inside the Basilica

Recently in September, I travelled back to same place as I have kept this close to my heart. I was drawn to visit here to say a prayer for my best friend who has recently been diagnosed with Cancer and been through many operations. I wanted to find some hope, lay flowers, light a candle and pray. It is times like this that this is all you have and to feel that this strong figure of hope might somehow get you through these dark day, it eases the pain. It was a sad day for me on this visit as it was a personal reason for me visiting this time, certainly not the same experience from my very first time and feeling so happy. I came away feeling strong, hopeful and thankful. 

So whether this is a myth or not, what people can gain from Lady Candelaria is a personal gain of hope, respect and a closeness to the holy land. It is worth a visit to sense the tranquility of this place but if you really want to be part of the celebration, you need to visit during the sacred day of fiesta. This way, you will get to see how much this statue is truly adored.

The photographs are from my own collection and a true reflection of La Candelaria