Fiesta de la Virgen de las 40 Horas

The small city of Limache, in central Chile, swells to three or four times its population in the last week of February when penitents and the faithful flock to the city for the annual celebrations of the La Virgen de las 40 Horas, the Feast of the Virgin of 40 Hours.

There are two schools of thought about the naming of the Catholic festival. One attributes it to the arrival of the founders during the 40 hours, or three days, after the Crucifixion before Easter Sunday. The other credits the miracle in which the Virgin Mary rescued a group of fishermen and sailors thought lost in a storm at sea 40 hours after their ship went down.

Read about other Fiestas and Holidays in Chile.