The Guanche were the indigenous inhabitants of the Spanish Canary Islands, located in the Atlantic Ocean some 100 kilometres (60 mi) to the west of modern Morocco and the North African coast. The islanders spoke the Guanche language, which is believed to have been related to the Berber languages of mainland North Africa; the language became extinct in the 17th century, soon after the islands were colonized.
Tenerife is the largest and most populous island of the Canary Islands. It is home to 42.9% of the total population of the archipelago. With a land area of 2,034.38 square kilometres (785.48 sq mi) and a population of 948,815 inhabitants as of January 2023, it is also the most populous island of Spain and of Macaronesia.
Candelaria, also Villa Mariana de Candelaria, is a municipality and city in the eastern part of the island of Tenerife in the Province of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, in the Canary Islands, Spain. The city is located on the coast, 17 km southwest of Santa Cruz de Tenerife. The population is 25,140 (2010), and the area is 49.18 km².
Candlemas, also known as the Feast of the Presentation of Jesus Christ, the Feast of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary, or the Feast of the Holy Encounter, is a Christian feast day commemorating the presentation of Jesus at the Temple by Joseph and Mary. It is based upon the account of the presentation of Jesus in Luke 2:22–40. According to the Old Testament rules in Leviticus 12, a woman was to be purified by presenting a lamb as a burnt offering, and either a young pigeon or dove as sin offering, 33 days after a boy's circumcision. The feast falls on 2 February, which is traditionally the 40th day of and the conclusion of the Christmas–Epiphany season.
The Diocese of San Cristóbal de La Laguna, also called Diocese of Tenerife or Diocese Nivariense, is a diocese located in the city of San Cristóbal de La Laguna in the Canary Islands and a suffragan in the ecclesiastical province of the Archdiocese of Sevilla in Spain. The diocese includes the islands of Tenerife, La Palma, La Gomera and El Hierro, in the province of Santa Cruz de Tenerife. The bishop of this diocese is Bernardo Álvarez Afonso.
The Virgin of Candelaria or Our Lady of Candle (Tagalog: Mahal na Birhen ng Candelaria, popularly called La Morenita, celebrates the Virgin Mary on the island of Tenerife, one of the Canary Islands. The center of worship is located in the city of Candelaria in Tenerife. She is depicted as a Black Madonna. The "Royal Basilica Marian Shrine of Our Lady of Candelaria" is considered the main church dedicated to the Virgin Mary in the Canary Islands and she is the patroness saint of the Canary Islands. Her feast is celebrated on February 2 and August 15, the patronal feast of the Canary Islands.
"Bajada" is the shortened version of the Fiestas de la Bajada which is a festival which takes place in several places in the Canary Islands. Bajada is Spanish for "bringing down", and means the bringing of a patron saint's statue from its normal place in a chapel to be celebrated by the people.
The Basilica of the Royal Marian Shrine of Our Lady of Candelaria is a Roman Catholic minor basilica, the first Marian shrine of the Canary Islands, located in the municipality and city of Candelaria on the island of Tenerife. It is located some 20 km (12 mi) south of the island's capital, Santa Cruz de Tenerife.
Güímar was one of nine menceyatos guanches that was divided island of Tenerife at the time of the arrival of the Castilian conquerors. Occupied an area significantly greater than the actual municipality of Güímar, including part of Santa Cruz de Tenerife and San Cristóbal de La Laguna, El Rosario, Candelaria, Arafo and Fasnia, himself and perhaps a small part of the town of Arico.
Tinerfe "the Great", legendary hero who was a guanche mencey of the island of Tenerife. It is estimated that he lived at the end of the 14th century.
Cave-Shrine of Chinguaro is a cave and associated Roman Catholic church located in Güímar on Tenerife. It was the traditional palace of Acaimo, the Guanche king of the Menceyato de Güímar. After the Spanish conquest, they venerated the cave as a site of the Virgin Mary, and later built a church shrine there.
The Plaza de la Patrona de Canarias is a large square in Candelaria, Tenerife. It is next to the Basilica of Candelaria, a meeting place of pilgrims and festivities celebrating the most important of the municipality. In this square there are also various bars and cafes.
The Romería de la Bajada de la Virgen del Socorro, is a romeria of popular character that is held in September in the town of Güímar in Tenerife. This festival also declared Regional Tourist Interest. It is considered the oldest romeria of Canary Islands is also one of the most popular.
The Cave of the Guanches, or Archaeological area of the Cave of the Guanches, is an important archaeological site located in the north of the island of Tenerife.
The Caves of Don Gaspar is an important archaeological site located in the north of the island of Tenerife.
The Stone of the Guanches, also known as Stone of Taganana, is an engraved stone stele located in the village of Afur, on the island of Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain. It is made of red tuff volcanic rock.
Alfonso de Bolaños was a Franciscan friar and missionary of the 15th century. He is nicknamed the "Apostle of Tenerife" because he initiated an evangelizing process on this island approximately 30 years before the conquest of it.
Antón Guanche was a Guanche aborigine of the island of Tenerife protagonist of the events around the presence among the Guanches of the Christian image of the Virgin of Candelaria before the European conquest of the island.
As in the rest of Spain, the majority religion in the Canary Islands is the Catholic Church. The Catholic religion has been the majority since the Conquest of the Canary Islands in the fifteenth century. This religion would largely replace the Canarian aboriginal religion through the prohibition of the latter and syncretism. According to a survey conducted in 2019, Canary Islands is the fifth autonomous community in Spain with the highest percentage of people who declare themselves to be Catholics after the Region of Murcia, Extremadura, Galicia, Aragon, and Castile and León. 76.7% of the population is Catholic.
The pilgrimage to Candelaria is a religious march that takes place every year on the night of August 14 to 15 in Tenerife towards the municipality of Candelaria where the image is located. of the Patroness of the Canary Islands, the Virgin of Candelaria. It is one of the most popular events in the Canary Islands.
