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. Milagros in the shape of specific body parts are generally a prayer or offering to heal an ailment of that specific area of the body.