It was a long weekend, with many Dominicans hitting beach and mountain resorts from Friday, 21 September through Monday, 24 September. The weather, for the most part, was good for vacationing.
The off days were because Dominicans were celebrating Our Lady of Mercedes Day, a legacy of the Spanish heritage days. The religious holiday has been celebrated since 1844.
Legend says that faced with the abuses carried out by Christopher Columbus and his cohorts, a coalition of Indians, commanded by Maniocatex, brother of chieftain Caonabo, established a large army of Indians in La Vega, to destroy the Spanish forts and attack La Isabela, the first Spanish settlement in northern Puerto Plata.
There were only 220 Spanish against around 30,000 Indians. The legend tells that despite being outnumbered, when the Spaniards reached Kilometer 5 in La Vega (Santo Cerro) they built a two-meter cross to give them hope. When the Indians saw the cross they unsuccessfully tried to destroy it, believing the power of the Spaniards came from it. History tells that the battle ended with the Spanish being victorious.
Since then, and given the prevalence of the Spanish heritage, Our Lady of the Mercedes is worshipped in Santo Cerro in La Vega.
Read more:
eldia.com.do/hoy-se-celebra-el-dia-de-la-virgen-de-las-mercedes/
