La Virgen of Juquila

It all makes sense now, as once again, Henry Wangeman of Amate Books came through with the answer to what all the flowers and fireworks are about. Today is the day oaxaqueños celebrate La Virgen of Juquila, the unofficial patron saint of Oaxaca.
Hers is an interesting story:

The stories of the origins of the Virgin of Juquila are a bit convoluted, mysteriously clouded with the haze of time and myth. However, most accounts tell of a Dominican priest, Frey Juan Jordan, who brought the small figure with him from the Philippines. The exact date of their arrival is uncertain, but when he left in 1558 for another parish, he gave the figure to his young man servant who lived in the nearby town of Amialtepec. Word of her miracles spread and in 1630, a small shrine was built for her, affording all villagers a view. Three years later, the entire town of Amialtepec burned to the ground. From inside the inferno, they say, could be heard the wee voice of the tiny Virgin calling for help. While all around her fires blazed, destroying the entire town, the carved wooden figure survived, scorched a deep brown, the color of the Chatina people.