The Day of Our Lady of the Rosary of Chiquinquirá is a national public holiday in Colombia starting in 2026.
This Catholic celebration dedicated to the Virgin is observed every year on July 9. When that date does not fall on a Monday, the rest day is enjoyed on the following Monday.
Origin and meaning
This national holiday pays tribute to Our Lady of the Rosary of Chiquinquirá, historically recognized as the Virgin, Queen and patroness of Colombia. Its celebration originates from an extraordinary event that has consolidated over the centuries.
According to Catholic tradition, on December 26, 1586, a deteriorated painting of the Virgin suddenly recovered its colors and radiance in an oratory in Chiquinquirá. This episode, known as the renewal of the canvas, initiated the devotion to this image. Today the canvas is venerated in the Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary of Chiquinquirá.
Legal framework of the national holiday
Law 2578 of 2026, sanctioned on June 1, 2026, incorporated this date into the calendar of national holidays. Its article 6 declares the Day of Our Lady of the Rosary of Chiquinquirá, commemorated every year on July 9, as a national holiday of mandatory compliance throughout the territory of the Republic. It also refers to the Emiliani Law (Law 51 of 1983) to determine the day the rest is enjoyed in the calendar.
In addition to the holiday, Law 2578 links the Nation in a tribute to the municipality of Chiquinquirá for its historical, religious, cultural and tourist importance. The law mentions as historical context the miracle of the renewal of 1586, the declaration of Chiquinquirá as a Republican Villa in 1810 and the visit of Pope John Paul II to the basilica in 1986.
Celebrations
The annual patronal feast in Chiquinquirá is concentrated in the days prior to July 9 in the Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary and its nearby streets. Thousands of faithful attend organized by guilds, among which the colorful caravan of transporters seeking to bless their vehicles stands out. The festivity includes the Rosary of the Dawn, a walk with songs and lanterns in the early mornings and culminates on July 9 with a solemn procession in the main square that transfers an exact replica of the Marian image.
Every seven years, Chiquinquirá experiences a very special celebration in which the delicate original 16th-century painting is carefully brought down from its high altar to be shown up close to visitors in the lower part of the temple. This emotional tradition attracts thousands of people from all over the country.
History of the canvas and its devotion
Around 1562, the Spanish artist Alonso de Narváez painted an image of the Virgin of the Rosary on a cotton blanket. The painting showed the Virgin with the Child, Saint Andrew the Apostle and Saint Anthony of Padua. It was placed in a chapel in Suta, in the current region of Boyacá, where the thatched roof and humidity deteriorated it until leaving it almost unrecognizable.
Later, the canvas was taken to Chiquinquirá and ended up forgotten in a small oratory. María Ramos arrived there, a devout woman who repaired the chapel and hung the image again in the most visible place of the altar. For months she prayed in front of the painting, asking the Virgin to manifest herself.
Tradition relates that on December 26, 1586, as María Ramos left the chapel, several people noticed that the canvas shone and that the original colors had returned, as if humidity and time had not passed. The news spread quickly through the region and the first pilgrimages began. Later the sanctuary that houses the image today was built.
Over time, this devotion gained religious and historical importance in Colombia. Simón Bolívar prayed before the painting during the liberation campaign and in 1829 Pope Pius VIII officially approved the feast and the prayers of the Virgin of Chiquinquirá. On July 9, 1919, the Virgin of Chiquinquirá was canonically crowned in the Plaza de Bolívar in Bogotá, a solemn act that officially proclaimed her as Queen and patroness of Colombia.
