Milagros or "Miracles"
In Spanish, milagro means "miracle" or "surprise". An ancient custom in the Hispanic world, the use of these tiny offerings is traceable to the Iberians of the coastal regions of Spain between the fifth and first centuries before Christ. Made of various materials, they were attached to statues of saints or to the walls of churches as a reminder of a need or in gratitude for a prayer answered. A praying male figure can have different meanings - it may be used as a symbol of a special man in one's life or to represent the prayer's of a specific man, it can represent any male saint, or it can be symbolic of a prayer for whole body healing or given when the giver is unsure of what part of the body needs healing. Some also use the praying figure as an offering in gratitude of a prayer that's already been answered.