What are Milagros?

The word milagro is Spanish for "miracle" or "surprise." Milagros are small religious charms that were originally produced for the rich; they are now made out of other base metals affordable to everyone.

Milagros come in a variety of shapes and dimensions and are fabricated from many different materials, including copper, tin, pewter, lead, wood, bone, wax or gold, depending on local customs. They can be nearly flat or fully three-dimensional.
Milagros are carried or kept by devoted believers of a faith or given as an offering of gratitude to the shrine of a saint. Some believe these have spiritual or magical powers for healing or protection against supernatural spirits.

Although these charms often take the form of a leg, head, eye or heart, the symbolism of each icon is not universal. For example, the heart could mean love, romance or health. The use of milagros is a folk custom in parts of North, Central and South America, and it is claimed that the custom is traceable to ancient Iberians who inhabited the coastal regions of Spain.