We wish you, on behalf of all of us at Patria de Martí and The CubanAmerican Voice, a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year 2026.
We pray that the depth and magnitude of the arrival of the Child Redeemer will sustain us and help us to stay on the right path.
We thank God for the year 2025 that is ending and for 2026 that is about to begin. We fully trust that His purposes are perfect, and so we move forward with faith, persistence, and perseverance.
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Today, January 6, Christian culture celebrates the Day of the Three Wise Men. It is not only the feast of the Epiphany of Christ, that is, of his manifestation to all peoples and cultures represented by those Magi from the East of the world. It is also, as we will see, a cultural festival, especially in Cuba.
However, during the period of greatest religious persecution, the celebration of both Christmas and the beautiful children's feast of the Three Wise Men every January 6th was prohibited in Cuba. Even a strange "Children's Day" was instituted in July, which no one remembers anymore. That's how fleeting the holidays imposed by arbitrariness are. However, little by little, in the midst of the most frightening situation, the ancient tradition of the Day of the Three Wise Men is re-emerging in some Cuban families.
It is also a sad truth that when a religious and cultural feature such as that of the Three Wise Men is destroyed, the void begins to be filled, sometimes facilitated or pushed by those who emptied our most genuine traditions, by other customs that are completely foreign and without any biblical foundation, as the feast of the Three Wise Men has. Such is the case of the character of Santa Claus, with his enormous belly, red hats for the cold, and even sleighs for the snow, in a tropical country. The gifts are no longer brought by the Three Wise Men on the night of January 5-6, near the “Birth” of Jesus Christ, they are placed at the base of an artificial tree, generally not with the green of our native pines, but white with frost and ornaments from a cold country.
Just as this beautiful and authentic religious and cultural tradition of the Kings was abolished and replaced by traditions foreign to our culture, so could other elements and traits of identity that characterize our Cubanness. The peaceful struggle for freedom cannot include the assimilation of traditions and customs of nations that live in freedom, and if they are assimilated by family influence it is not by replacing those that are our own, but by opening them to the universality of these times. It is not about nostalgia for the old but about cultivating our roots.
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Our Lady of Charity (Virgen de la Caridad del Cobre), affectionately known as "Cachita," is a central figure in Cuban faith and culture. Venerated by Cubans on the island and in the diaspora, this representation of the Virgin Mary has transcended its religious significance to become a symbol of national identity and hope.
The Virgen de la Caridad del Cobre, affectionately known as ‘Cachita’ is a central figure in Cuban faith and culture that unites Cubans inseparably. Revered by Cubans on the island and in the diaspora, this representation of the Virgin Mary has transcended its religious significance to become a symbol of national identity and hope.
As is customary every year on September 8, thousands celebrate the Virgen de la Caridad del Cobre, patron saint of Cuba, at the Cobre shrines in Cuba, at the Ermita de la Caridad in Miami, and at many other parishes and places of worship, as many do at home.
It is worth noting that here in Miami: ‘Many thought this was a Cuban celebration, but it has become more and more international. People come here to this shrine because it is dedicated to the mother of Jesus, and the mother of Jesus is the mother of all,’ said Father Alberto Cutié, an Anglican-oriented priest.
The Apparition in Cuba
According to tradition, the image of Our Lady of Charity appeared in Nipe Bay in 1612. Three fishermen—two indigenous brothers named Rodrigo and Juan de Hoyos, and a young African slave named Juan Moreno—were in a small boat looking for salt when, in the midst of a storm, they saw an image of the Virgin Mary holding the Christ Child floating on the waters. The image was on a board that bore the inscription "I am the Virgin of Charity."
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🎅Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year 2026
