Santa Marian Kamalen Day in Guam ― Date, History, and Details
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History of Santa Marian Kamalen Day in Guam and How to Celebrate/ Observe It
The Santa Marian Kamalen is a Marian statue in the village of Inarajan on the island of Guam. Every year on December 8, the feast day of the Immaculate Conception, a procession is held in which the statue is carried through the streets. The procession is followed by a mass, and then a fiesta is held in honor of the Virgin Mary.
The tradition of the Santa Marian Kamalen began in 1669, when a wooden statue of the Virgin Mary was brought to the island by Spanish missionaries. The statue was placed in the village of Hagåtña, but it was soon destroyed by a typhoon. In 1734, another statue was brought to the island, this time from Mexico. This statue survived the typhoon, and it became a popular pilgrimage site for the people of Guam.
In 1884, the statue was moved to the village of Inarajan, where it remains to this day. Every year on December 8, the feast day of the Immaculate Conception, a procession is held in which the statue is carried through the streets. The procession is followed by a mass, and then a fiesta is held in honor of the Virgin Mary.
The Santa Marian Kamalen is a symbol of the faith of the people of Guam, and it is also a reminder of the island’s Spanish colonial history. Every year, on the feast day of the Immaculate Conception, the people of Guam come together to celebrate their faith and their culture.