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Thank You, Lord of the Miraculous Chocolates
I was raving the other day about the chocolates and other treats made by nuns and sold at the church of the Nazarenes, in downtown Lima, where El Señor de los Milagros lives. I made myself so hungry writing that post, I had to go to the Nazarenes the next day and buy a stash from a nun in a brown Carmelitas habit. I’m not Catholic but I felt guilty going to church just to buy candy, so I picked up a purple religious candle while I was at it. Back home I lit the candle and said, Thank you, El Señor de los Milagros, for inspiring the barefoot sisters of…
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Peruvian Lord of the Miracles Batting .758, Survey Says
A recent poll by the University of Lima indicated that more than three-quarters of devotees of El Señor de los Milagros say the Peruvian Christ figure has answered their prayers. Nearly 76 percent — 75.8 percent — of those surveyed say that their prayer to or request of the Lord of the Miracles was granted, reports El Comercio. Some of the miracles attributed to El Señor include people being cured of brain cancer, handicapped people regaining use of their legs and sailors being rescued from sinking submarines. The Church does not keep records of these miracles. They are mainly anecdotal. The cult of the Lord of the Miracles reached a fever…
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Purple Month Strikes Again
It’s mes morado(purple month) again in Lima, and the faithful are dressed head-to-toe in purple clothing, a sign of their devotion to El Señor de los Milagros. This miracle-working Christ figure is housed in the Church of the Nazarenes, in downtown Lima (see photo above), where thousands of worshippers come to pray and make offerings each October. I blogged about Purple Month and the Lord of the Miracles in An American in Lima last year. Then I was fascinated by (1) the burning devotion of the faithful; (2) the creative ways that people found to weave purple into their wardrobes; and (3) the abundance of seriously good candy and pastries to be had during…
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Is Yahoo! Hoping for a Peruvian-style Miracle with Its October “Wear Purple” Media Blitz?
Purple Yahoo! kicks, part of its line of Wear Purple gear Here’s a strange convergence of cyber branding trends and Peruvian religious tradition. The online portal Yahoo! is pushing a “Wear Purple” promotional campaign in October, which is coincidentally (?) known as mes morado (purple month) in Peru. “Yahoo! Start Wearing Purple” the campaign’s website screams. (It’s all an effort to associate the Yahoo! brand with this color, which began with reconfigured purple logo in July.) Images of purple skate shoes, purple t-shirts and purple toys float on a deep eggplant-hued background. A blip of teaser text explains: “Purple is the IN color this season–and for us, every season. Check out our…
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El Senor de los Milagros in Pachacamac
Two days from now, October 18, Lima will be gripped by El Señor de los Milagros fever. That’s the day when hundreds of thousands of purple-clad devotees take part in an elaborate street procession to celebrate a 350-year-old miraculous Christ icon. (See my post on “Purple Month and the Lord of the Miracles,” Oct. 10, 2008). While Lima’s procession draws the largest crowds, towns throughout Peru celebrate with equal fervor. Images made of flower petals are painstakingly arranged along processional routes, to be trod upon by hundreds of devotees singing, chanting and carrying a replica of the miraculous Christ image. Children, parents and elders take part. Some people fall on their knees and…
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Purple Month (Mes Morado) and the Lord of the Miracles
It is October in Lima, also known as mes morado, the Purple Month. There are purple banners hung along streets in downtown Lima, purple candles sold on street corners, desserts tied with purple bows displayed in bakery windows. A favorite pastry is a flat, candy- and syrup-drenched affair known as Turron de Dona Pepa. On city streets and in banks and restaurants, you’ll find people dressed in purple head to toe. Usually they are middle-aged ladies wearing conservative knee-length dresses and pants suits. Sometimes it will be a child dressed in a purple robe with matching cape. Occasionally you will see a trendsetter in a purple mini skirt, purple…
