They also help us celebrate our culture, traditions, religion or heritage. In this column, we highlight holidays and festivals that represent the diverse Johns Hopkins community. Listed below is a calendar followed by brief descriptions of a few holidays. Commemorating the appearance of the Blessed Virgin to an Indian boy in 1531, Our Lady of Guadalupe is the greatest religious festival celebrated in Mexico. Today, tens of thousands of worshipers make the annual pilgrimage to the Cathedral near Mexico City.
Native dancers leap for hours in the church's atrium.
In Sweden, Christmas festivities kick off the morning of December 13, otherwise known as St. Lucia's Day, with trays of mouthwatering saffron-colored Lucia buns. A candlestick parade takes place on this day. Customs include lighting candles, exchanging gifts, lighting special fires, using evergreen decorations, enjoying special holiday foods and attending church services. Celebrations vary according to culture, ethnicity and family traditions around the world. A professor who wanted to encourage blacks to celebrate their heritage started Kwanzaa in California in 1966.