One of Oaxaca's most striking celebrations centers on the statue called El Señor del Rayo, a depiction of Jesus carved in Spain in the 16th Century. Legend has it that a stroke of lightning--un rayo--started a fire that destroyed everything in the church where it stood, except for the statue itself. That initial miracle has given the statue the reputation of working miracles for petitioners. The statue is venerated every October 23 with prayers inside Oaxaca's Cathedral where it now stands, which overflows with flowers for the occasion, and with a huge procession, or calenda. Here are some photos from the 2012 celebration:

 The miraculous statue surrounded by flowers

Devotees waiting under flower-decked columns to approach the statue

Part of the procession, or calenda. This crucified Christ is not a statue!

A more joyful part of the calenda