Venezuelan Folk Saint Jose Gregorio Hernandez is 148

Venezuelans will be lighting a candle today for the country's most popular folk saint, Dr Jose Gregorio Hernandez, who was born on 26 October 1864 in the small Andean pueblo of Isnotú, Trujillo State.

The good doctor spent his short lifetime helping the poor and performing miracles until he was tragically killed on 26 June 1919, run down on the corner of Amadores and Uparal in Caracas by one of the first cars in the city. 

Since then, millions of Venezuelans have prayed to a small statue of Jose Gregorio Hernandez, or carried a printed image of him to help overcome illness or bad health for themselves or family members.

His tomb in the church of La Candelaria, Caracas, and his birthplace in Isnotú are popular places of pilgrimage, especially by the sick and infirm seeking a miracle cure.

The many claims of miraculous healing attributed to Jose Gregorio Hernandez over the years led Pope John Paul II to declare him "venerable" in 1986 - an important step on the road to sainthood.

But devotion to "El Medico de Los Pobres" (The Doctor of the Poor) or "El Siervo de Dios" (The Servant of God), as he is known, extends beyond the Catholic Church. 

Statues, prints and scapularies of Jose Gregorio Hernandez - depicted in a black suit and hat with a Charlie Chaplin moustache, or in a doctor's white coat.- are sold outside and inside some churches.

You can also find them in stores known as perfumerías (literally perfume shops), which sell a dizzying array of soaps for washing away bad luck and love potions to make you irresistible, alongside shelves of statues of saints and characters from the Cult of Maria Lionza.

Explore Venezuela in London - Bolivar Hall - 7 July

Click on photo to expand. Catatumbo Lightning image courtesy of Alan Highton.

Exploring Venezuela: A Land of Natural Wonders in Words, Sounds and Pictures

In this illustrated talk, Russell Maddicks, the author of the Bradt Guide to Venezuela will highlight some of the most fascinating areas of Venezuela to visit and what you can expect to see and do.

Drawing on his experience of adventuring in Venezuela for more than 20 years, the author will take you to:

* The "Lost World" mountain of Roraima and the unique ecosystem of its summit

* The thunderless lightning phenomenon in the south of Lake Maracaibo known as Catatumbo Lightning

* The magical mountain of Sorte where devotees of Maria Lionza practice a syncretic religion unique to the country

* The record-breaking and awe-inspiring waterfall of Angel Falls, known as Kerepacupai-meru to the local Pemon people.

One of the 17 most megadiverse countries in the world, Venezuela is home to Caribbean beaches, dense rainforests, high Andean valleys, mysterious table-top tepui mountains, and seasonally-flooded plains that are literally teeming with birds, beasts and creepy-crawlies.

From the anacondas, capybaras and crocodiles of Los Llanos, to the jaguars, monkeys and tarantulas of the jungle, a well-planned trip to this fascinating country can reap rich rewards for wildlife watchers.

Venezuela is also alive with the sound of folk music, from the Afro-Venezuelan tambores of the coast, to the harp-driven Joropo songs of Los Llanos and during his talk the author will present several examples of the music to be found in the regions he discusses.

There will be a live group performing traditional folk music, an opportunity to sample some of Venezuela's excellent local rum and Gillian Howe of Geodyssey - a tailor-made travel company specializing in organized trips to Venezuela - will be on hand to offer her own expert tips and advice on travelling in Venezuela.

Venue:  Bolivar Hall, the Venezuelan cultural centre in London, 54 Grafton Way, London, W1T 5DL
Nearest Tube: Warren Street
Doors open: 7:15 p.m. 
Date: 7 July

Trip Tips: Venezuelan Festival Calendar 2010

If you want to plan a visit to venezuela, the first thing you need to know is when the public holidays fall.

There's no point visiting during the main holidays of Christmas, Easter or Carnival unless you specifically want to see one of the many local festivals that take place during these times or if you're one of those people who feels lonely without a horde of people to keep them company on the beach.

Venezuelans love their holidays and will do anything to extend them, so carnival celebrations won't start this year on Monday, 15 February, but on Friday, 12 February, or the Thursday before that and will most likely extend beyond that in most places to Ash Wednesday on the 17th.

This is something the Venezuelans call a "puente", literally a bridge, a neat way of stretching holidays out between weekends to maximize the party time available.

The same holds true for other moveable feast such as Easter (Semana Santa in Spanish), which officially starts on Good Friday on 2 April and runs through Easter Monday on 5 April. Expect the celebrations to start well before Friday and extend well beyond Monday.

1 January - New Year's Day
6 January -The Three Kings (Reyes Magos)
15-16 February - Carnival
19 March - San Jose
28 March -Palm Sunday - Los Palmeros descend from the Avila mountain with palm fronds for a mass in the local church in the plaza in Chacao, Caracas.
1-4 April - Easter (Semana Santa)
19 April - Declaration of Independence
1 May - International Workers Day
3 June - Corpus Christi - Devil Dancers start the celebrations early on Thursday in San Francisco de Yare, Chuao, Patanemo and 11 other towns.
23-24 June - Feast of Saint John the Baptist has a party atmosphere along the coast, where statues of the saint are taken out of the churches to dance to Afro-Venezuelan drumming.
24 June - Battle of Carabobo. The decisive battle in Venezuela's war of independence against Spanish control is celebrated with military parades.
29 June - San Pedro and San Pablo
5 July - Venezuelan Independence
24 July - Simon Bolivar's Birthday
12 October - Indigenous Resistance Day, a public holiday formerly known as Columbus Day. It is also the biggest day for the Cult of Maria Lionza, with thousands of her devotees travelling to the Mountain of Sorte in Yaracuy State to bathe in the river, take part in cleansing rituals and watch the mass fire walking ceremony that closes the day.
7 December - Immaculate Conception
25 December - Christmas Day