Whats more popular — the Guadalupe candles or the statues?
The candles. I sell the heck out of candles this time of year. In December, I sell 25 or 30 cases of Guadalupe candles. The statues are second to the candles. Q: But people don’t buy statues every year, the way they buy candles, do they? A: No. Usually you have one statue. A family will have a statue for their home, and the kids will grow up and get married, or go out to homes of their own. So the young people will buy statues for their new places. Q: And those statues stay up all year, right? They’re not put away like Christmas decorations? A: Oh, yeah. They stay up all year, and in December they go by themselves on a table, with candles. Q: How long do the statue and candles have an altar of their own? A: Sometimes for a novena — nine days — and sometimes just for a couple of days before the 12th. It’s a big deal in Mexico. On the 12th, people in Mexico will stay up all night, like a vigil. People sing to her. They pray, giving thanks. At midnight in Mexico City, they’ll have famous
