Our Lady of Altagracia – January 21, 2027

Expected Our Lady of Altagracia Deals

As a deeply religious and cultural observance, Our Lady of Altagracia is not typically marked by commercial deals or sales. Instead, the focus is on spiritual devotion, community gatherings, and pilgrimages to the Basílica Catedral Nuestra Señora de la Altagracia in Higüey. Local businesses in the Dominican Republic may offer special services for pilgrims or traditional foods. Organizations like the Catholic Church and local parishes will host special masses and prayer vigils. Families often gather for meals and share stories of faith. We will update this page with any community-focused events as January 21 approaches.

History of Our Lady of Altagracia

The Dominican Republic’s association with the Virgin Mary has been long and is associated with two different tales.

One story is of a young girl in 16th-century Salvaleón de Higüey whose merchant father always brought back a gift for her from his travels. One day, after a dream about a painting of the Virgin Mary, the girl asked her father to bring back exactly that portrait. Her dad searched far and wide for this picture with no luck. He was eventually forced to accept defeat and returned home, stopping at an inn for a brief rest. While there, the merchant began to share his troubles with fellow travelers and was overheard by an old man who had a painting called ‘Our Lady of Altagracia.’ He gave this painting to the merchant, whose daughter cherished it so much that she hung it up in her room. However, every morning she would wake to find the painting had moved outside her house, under an orange tree. Eventually, the family decided that the painting was not meant to belong to just one family but was supposed to be displayed publicly for all Dominicans to cherish. A church was built on this spot to commemorate the Virgin Mary and her painting, and to this day, people offer oranges to the image after being inspired by this story.

Another origin story tells the tale of two 16th-century European brothers, Alfonso and Antonio Trejo, who were some of the first settlers in the Dominican part of Hispaniola island. They brought a painting of the Virgin Mary, and when they moved to a new home in Salvaleón de Higüey, they offered this painting to the town’s church, which has been venerated ever since. Eventually, the Catholic Church decided that to celebrate the Virgin Mary and honor the painting, a special mass and feast would be held each year on January 21.