Faith on the Streets: The Virgin of Regla travels through Colón for the first time and defies the rain in Matanzas

The municipality of Colón, in Matanzas, celebrated this Monday for the first time a public procession in honor of the Most Holy Virgin of Regla, one of the most deeply rooted Marian devotions in Cuba and closely linked, within the context of Cuban religious syncretism, to Yemayá, the orisha associated with the sea and waters.

The celebration, organized by devoted members of the local religious community, went through several streets of the city and concluded at the intersection of Mario Muñoz and Juan Bruno Zayas avenues, at the home of Pedro Zuaznábar, one of the promoters of the initiative, as reported by TV Yumurí.

The Matanzas television station highlighted that this was the first procession of its kind held in Colón.

Numerous participants, many dressed in blue and white —colors traditionally associated with Yemayá— accompanied the image of the Virgin through the streets of the local area.

Antonio Armenteros Vegueríz, a methodologist in Popular and Traditional Culture, highlighted that the celebration transcended the strictly religious sphere and regarded it as a significant sociocultural event "not only for the religious but for all Colombians."

According to TV Yumurí, the participation during the procession demonstrated "respect and admiration for this tradition as a display of brotherhood and Cuban identity."

In the city of Matanzas, devotees of the Virgin of Regla also took to the streets in procession this Monday, this time under an intense downpour that left many streets flooded.

"Matanzas this afternoon does not have enough umbrellas for all this rain," wrote journalist Yuni Moliner on social media, describing how the pilgrims continued to move forward despite the rain.

Photographs taken by Evelyn Rosa show participants carrying the image of the Virgin on a platform under umbrellas, while water covered part of the streets.

"The pilgrimage is not just about walking behind an image. It is also about walking behind a hope," Moliner reflected.

The Virgin of Regla is a figure deeply rooted in Cuban popular religiosity. Her liturgical feast is celebrated on September 7, and her cult has historically intertwined in Cuba with religious traditions of African origin, particularly with the worship of Yemayá.

Matanzas also preserves a significant Afro-Cuban religious heritage, with the presence of traditions such as the Rule of Ocha, Palo Monte, the Arará Rule, and the Abakuá society, which are part of the cultural and spiritual diversity of the province.