The tradition dates back to the 16th century. A man named Jose was tasked with carving a statue of the Virgen for a church. While searching for wood in the woods, he was met by a hostile tribe who tried to hunt him down. He hid in a hollow tree and prayed to the Virgen of Caacupé for his survival. After surviving the incident, he carved two statues from this tree. Years later, after a massive flood destroyed everything in the area, only the statue of the Virgen to Caacupé remained. Paraguayans saw this as proof there was presence of Mary. They continued to honor her by completing the pilgrimage every year.
This tradition is closely tied to its environment. It is common for people to keep statues of the Virgen de Caacupé in their homes on top of shrines all year-round. People often pray to her, as she is the Patron Saint of Paraguay.
