Dia+de+la+Altagracia

=[|Dia de la Altagracia] =

 Dia de la Altagracia is a day commemorating Our Lady of Altagracia. Our Lady of Altagracia is a patron saint and the protector of the of the Dominican Republic.

It's a public holiday where people come together to have feasts on January 21.

Our Lady of Altagracia is a portrait painted of the Virgin Mary in a Nativity scene painted in the 1500's. The picture is kept in the The Basilica of Our Lady of Altagracia in Salvaeon, Higuay.

Two brothers,Alfonso and Antonio Trejo. They brought the painting to the island some time in 1502. They later than donated the painting to a church in Higuay.

The Dominicans see it as Our Lady watching over the island, and the spread of Christianity there.

The day is marked by feasts, dancing, singing, and festivals in many towns.  Legend says that the pious daughter of a rich merchant asked him to bring her a portrait of Our Lady of Altagracia from Santo Domingo, but no one had heard of that title. The merchant, staying overnight at a friend's house in Higuey, described his problem as they sat outdoors after dinner. An old man with a long beard, who just happened to be passing by, pulled a rolled up painting from his bindle, gave it to the merchant, and said, "This is what you are looking for." It was the Virgin of Altagracia. They gave the old man a place to stay for the night, but by dawn he was gone, not to be seen again. The merchant placed the image on their mantle, but it repeatedly disappeared only to be found outside. They finally returned it to the church.

This painting continues to remind the people of the Dominican Republic that they are not in danger, and that the Lady is watching over them.

Click here to go to the Dominican Republic page. Click here to go to the La Comida de Dominican Republic.

[|Our Lady Of Altagracia]



.