As students and community members stepped into Wallenberg Hall this Saturday, they were greeted with a beautiful display of la Virgen, the Virgin Mary, surrounded by roses. The air swelled with the sounds of music and the smell of tasty authentic food. On Dec. 7, Latinx Unidos hosted their 13th annual celebration of El Dia de la Virgen, also known as the Feast Day of Our Lady of Guadalupe, with the Quad City and Augustana community.
A part of the Augustana community for 30 years, Latinx Unidos’s main event of the academic year is El Dia de la Virgen, a celebration of the Virgin Mary and the story of Juan Diego. This year’s celebration left the crowds smiling with delicious food, a blessing, cultural dances and a play performed by group members.
While this event was fabulous to the eyes, it was also enriched with a deep history and meaning within Hispanic culture.
Junior Amy Arteaga, secretary of Latinx Unidos, said that all dances, music and food are ways to honor and celebrate la Virgen.
“This day is kind of like her birthday in a way,” Arteaga said. “These dances are offered to her in celebration to point out the shining brightness of who la Virgen is and how she brings our community together.”
Senior Santiago Miranda, President of Latinx Unidos, said that El Dia de la Virgen is also a popular event with the people of the Quad Cities, giving the college campus a chance to interact with the community.
“There are a lot of reasons we do this event every year,” Miranda said. “But one of the reasons is so that the community knows that the youth still have strong roots in our culture. We want to show that we still believe in the Virgin Mary outside the four walls of the Church and that we are celebrating our Latino culture in our communities.”
The event was accomplished thanks to the hard work of Latinx Unidos and the Latino community of the Quad Cities, who donated food and were a part of the evening performances. La Danza Asunción de St. Anthony, or the St. Anthony’s Dance Team, the Quad Cities Ballet Folklorico and Frances Williams, the director of the Mercado on Fifth, were all a part of creating such a memorable night for everyone.
Sophomore Renee Holloway, an event attendee, said the stunning dance performances of Danza Asunción blew her away. The team performed a traditional Aztec dance, which has a history dating back to colonization in Mexico, where the dance was used to honor the Virgin Mary.
“They were just so stunning,” Holloway said. “I really enjoyed getting the chance to watch them perform and learn more about the indigenous culture.”
Holloway was just one of many students on campus who attended the event and got to share in Hispanic culture through the celebration of El Dia de la Virgen.
“I think that it’s a great insight into our culture,” Miranda said. “We show traditional dances, we have great food and music and we are celebrating one of our most important religious figures.”
As the night came to an end, the sound of music still ringing in people’s ears and the taste of conchas still on folks’ lips, it was easy to say that everyone was already looking forward to next year.
