(Spanish: “miracle”). In Spain, Mexico, Latin America, and the southwestern U.S., milagros are small metal sculptures, usually made of silver or tin, that believers present at shrines, typically attaching them to altars and to statues of saints as votive offerings. The reasons for offering a milagro can be to promote the healing of an ailment, romance, safe childbirth, or other requests. When the offering’s objective is healing, a milagro is usually in the shape of the affected part of the body. See also: ex voto.

An assortment of milagros.